The tomb of Bodagh Sultan belongs to the Mukrian’s ruler, during the reign of Shah Suleiman the Safavid. It’s a tomb from the Islamic era in West Azerbaijan province, in Mahabad city. This historic building is the family tomb of Bodagh Sultan and other members of the Mukri’s family, who ruled this area for about four centuries. Bodagh Sultan made great efforts to develop his region and participated in forming the Mukrian’s city by constructing commercial and social centers such as: caravanserai, aqueduct, bazaar, mosque, bath and bridge. Bodagh Sultan’s tomb is located in the center of the old cemetery. According to the historical texts, tombstones and citation of trustees and survivors of Mukrian family, this tomb belongs to Bodagh Sultan and it is the place of a number of prominent members of his family who buried here in the Safavid period. Most of the members of this family, from Shah Ismail Safavi to Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, were governors in Mukrian region. They fought with invaders, and because of popularity of the Sultan and the elders who buried in the tomb, some people of different parts of Kurdistan always visit the tomb. After the fall of Safavid Dynasty, the tomb of Bodagh Sultan damaged a lot, because of insecurities and local disputes. Even though this building was registered as national monuments in Iran, the damages hadn’t been done and tomb had become half destroyed. The north Ivan and the south Ivan were completely destroyed, and heterogeneous repairs and additions were made. Also a humble door was installed to enter the domed nave. The graves’ inscriptions, were also completely destroyed, except the tombstone of Abdullah Khan, the last governor of the family. From 1991 to 1995, according to an approved planning, the cultural heritage department of West Azerbaijan provinc restored this historical monument after doing archeological and architectural researches. At the first step, debris and mass of the shrine grounds on the northern side of the mausoleum removed, with an area of about 42 square meters. After completing the excavations in the destroyed spaces and discovering the foundations and remnants of the walls and part of the arches, niches, walls on both sides of the entrances to the shrine (north Ivan), and the entrance Ivan (south side), the reconstruction map was prepared, under supervision of Dr. Baqir Ayatollahzade Shirazi. In 1992, the reconstruction and completion of the north and south Ivans and the outer body of the tomb continued, and the reconstruction of the side walls, arch and dome, and the architectural elements of both Ivans were completed. Now this building is a symbol of the city and one of the historical and tourist attractions of Mahabad.

Baba-Afzal Kashani tomb is located in the highest point of Margh village western end in Kashan is among Iranian tombs of Mogul era with some attachments of later periods decorated with tile and carved plaster. Baba-Afzal was one of the distinguished philosophers, poets and scientists in second half of 6th century and first half of 7th century. A plaster molded altar and a precious inlaid box on his tombstone as well as several writings are the important traits of his tomb. A large number of its graffiti have been destroyed. The purpose of this research is answering this question: “what is the content of Baba-Afzal Kashani tomb graffiti?” Here I intend to investigate these writings considering their content and language at the aim of recording them. These writing, mostly found at the western side of the tomb today, are exposed to the danger of destruction and a small number of them has been preserved. Therefore, after studying all investigated samples, just a limited number of them whose content, date and handwriting were intact and readable were selected and their photos and content were included in this paper due to their multiplicity (54 samples) and space limitation of this paper. Rest of them has been just named here. The applied methodology was historical-descriptive conducted based on some field studies and written references. The results show that there are some writings with historical, religious, literal, blessing and advising content in Persian. The names of some famous poets such as Saadi, Hafez and Abu-Sa’id Abul-Khayr as well as Arabic traditions, narrations and poems can be seen. The handwritings are mostly Thulth. A number of them describe an incident or pilgrimage trip to Baba-Afzal tomb and only in one of them a picture can be seen. Considering the names, titles, family relations and dates used by the writers of the graffiti, it can be perceived that most visitors of this well-known gnostic were from Kashan and the villages around Margh village such as: Joshaghan, Niasar, Kamo, Bidgol, Vorkan, Ghamsar and Naragh and the names belong to Borujerd, Khoi and Tabriz cities and Mazandaran province. Merchant, grocer, eulogist, preacher, tragedian of passion plays and tiler were among the jobs mentioned in graffiti. Some names such as Abd Al-Azim Joshaghani, Nasrollah the son of Sedgh Agha Esmail Agha Kazem, Seyed Mohamad-Taghi  Attar Neishabouri were written several times. The dates are between 1130-1311AH which shows most visits occurred in 13th century (1208-1299AH), Rabi’ Al-Thani (repeated 6 times), Rajab (repeated 3 times) and Jumada Al-Awwal, Jumada Al-Thani, Rabi’ Al- Awwal (each repeated twice).

Iranian covers have been invented based on the necessities and requirements of their time and have evolved gradually during centuries which has resulted in the creation of different types of them. In general, the covers are divided into two types of flat and curved ones. As a common curved cover in Iran, domes have had great influences not only on the geometric forms of buildings but also on the city perspective. Domes have been used in Iranian architecture more than other elements for their capability of covering a vast area. For the pressure existing among the dome components, any measure including renovation and strengthening must be taken based on the accurate and correct acquaintance with their overall nature and function; therefore, investigating domes and getting familiar with them not only reveals parts of Iranian architecture history but also assists us in proper renovation of these works. Previous researchers have studied and categorized Iranian domes but they have never been categorized extensively according to their shapes, main components and shell numbers. Considering the importance and use of domes in Iranian architecture, this research has been conducted at the aim of reviewing various types of domes and then presenting an extensive categorization based on their geometric forms, components and number of shells. Hence, this is the main question that how many types of Iranian domes there are based on the considered criteria. This research is a practical one and a compound research methodology (historical, descriptive and analytic) has been used to conduct it. The data has been derived from library and field studies (field observations of previous researchers have been used to obtain a comprehensive result.). What distinguishes this research from the previous ones is its variables, the research methodology and samples comprehensiveness. According to the results obtained based on domes shell number, there are 3 main types of dome. Each type in turn includes various sub-categories considering the space between shells, shell form (spherical, conical, combinatorial) and components (beam vault, opium poppy form, fasteners). Single-shell dome has 3 divisions: simple spherical, step-like, beamed domes, conical and domes with cupola. Double-shell domes have 3 main categories which include some sub-categories as well. Integrated spherical dome is the first type of double-shell dome which is the only separated double-shell dome. The second sub-category of double-shell dome is integrated hollow spherical dome which in turn includes simple, box-like, constraint, bladed and beamed forms. The 3th type of double-shell dome is the entirely disunited one which has 3 sub-categories: conical, spherical, combinatorial based on the outer shell form. Spherical dome also has some sub-categories: simple, onion, gothic, beamed, scalloped and zigzag. Double-shell conical dome includes 7 sub-categories: coneshaped, multiply, zigzag, scalloped, step-like, mound dome and combinatorial. For combinatorial dome two types of simple and beamed have been recognized. The last type of dome is 3-shell dome which has two sub-categories of spherical (simple and scalloped) and conical (simple, scalloped and multiply) considering their exterior shells. Totally, 27 types of dome have been recognized and categorized so far. Such form variety is the indicator of not only Iranian creativity but also acquaintance of Iranian master-workmen with the construction techniques and static issues.

Inscribed historical works such as coins, seals, manuscripts, documents, various objects, tombstones and inscriptions are among the most significant and reliable sources of all nations’ culture and history. In the field of Iranian civilization in Islamic era, inscriptions and written sources have always been interesting for the rulers and public. Meanwhile, monuments have been the most important document for determining the architecture history and originality of a building while being exposed to destruction or elimination by conquerors or opponents to the same extent. These valuable research sources are seriously in danger due to several ecological and preserving causes; therefore, it is likely that these sources be destroyed and future generations would not have access to them if they do not be documented. On the other hand, they must be read accurately since misreading may result in incorrect information acquisition. The main issue of this research is text investigation and reviewing the inscription of Agha Bozorg mosque portal in Kashan which was visited in Shahrivar, 1397SH (Sep.2018). Agha Bozorg mosque and school located in the historic area of Kashan, is adjacent to Khajeh Taj Al-Din tomb in a district of the same name, in Agha Bozorg street branched off Fazel Naraghi street. This school mosque is attributed to Mollah Mahdi Naraghi known as Agha Bozorg, one of the great philosophers of Kashan and was built in Mohamad-Shah Qajar era. Haj Mohamad-Taghi Khanban was the founder of this complex who constructed its mosque for public prayer and as a venue for holding debate and training sessions of his son-in-law Mollah Mahdi Naraghi. The project of building the mosque started in 1256AH (1840AD) and finished 8 years later in 1264AH (1848AD) during the early years of Naser Al-Din Shah Qajar’s reign. The dates 1263, 1264, 1268AH (1847, 1848, 1852AD) mentioned on the inscriptions of the dado, the nave (shabistan) platform, the interior space of the nave under the dome, the altar and the portal relate to the time its decoration process ended. Agha Bozorg mosque is one of the monuments with many inscriptions. The text inscribed over the portal is a 24-distich ode written with beautiful white Nastaliq handwriting on an azure tile background. The king’s name of that time (Naser Al-Din Shah), the chronogram, the poet’s nick name (Hasrat), signature (calligrapher = Hosein), the founder’s name Mohamad-Taghi and Mollah Mahdi Naraghi known as Agha Bozorg have been written on this inscription. Its text and the issue if it was read correctly are investigated here. Hasan Naraghi’s book is one of the most important books written about Kashan and its counties. He has tried to mention all inscriptions of the investigated buildings but lack of their photos in this book has made it really difficult to compare what was read by the writer to the original inscription. Through library studies and referring to Naraghi’s book, it is perceived that some distiches of the ode, inscribed on 3 sides of the portal have not been read correctly. Inscriptions are seen as the most significant document of architecture history as well as means of determining the originality of a monument. Hence, through some field studies, the writer concluded that 10 mistakes were made in reading the inscription chronogram of Agha Bozorg mosque portal while writing “The monuments of Kashan and Natanz” book. Some dates have also been read incorrectly. Such mistakes have been corrected in this research according to some field studies and through entering the inscriptions photos into this paper.

The Bāgh-e Fīrūzi area spreads over 130 ha and includes 10 known Achaemenid sites: seven with stone architectural elements, one with baked bricks on the surface, and two corresponding to 3 m-high rounded tepes. Tol-e Ājori is located on the eastern fringe of Bāgh-e Fīrūzi, on a border defined by Bāgh-e Fīrūzi located 300 m to the SE and Tol-e Jangī B located 400 m to the NW. This area was studied and excavated over 8 years. Comprehensive study of Tol-e Ājori, located 3 km west of the Persepolis Terrace, must be approached by taking into account former research on Pārsa. Like various scholars before us, we think that the Bāgh-e Fīrūzi area should be seen as a part of the city linked to the royal residence of Persepolis. Remains of Achaemenid occupation near the village of Fīrūzi have gradually been brought to light by archaeologists surveying the vicinity of the Terrace in the attempt to place it within the perspective of wider town planning. The archaeological excavation results in this part of the city of Pārsa showed that in both historical and functionality sense, the discovered building in Tol-e Ājori in the area known as Bāgh-e Fīrūzi, can go back to the early phases or even before the construction of the Persepolis terrace. The Tol-e Ājori is one of the valuable archaeological finds that fills the gap in the formation of the city of Pārsa before Darius I. Paying attention to the glazed bricks and the figurative imagery of fantastical animals used in this building, the building in Tol-e Ājori goes back to before the construction of Āpādānā in Susa and Persepolis, and it resembles the Ishtar gate in Babylon at the beginning of the sixth century BC. In this regard, the comparison of the construction method; architectural trend; and analytical archaeological information with regards to the construction methods; and identification of the the materials used for glazed bricks from the three areas of Tol-e Ājori, Susa and Babylon will have a critical role in understanding the history and the cultural connections of this era in South- Western Iran. The Tol-e Ājori building and the surrounding structures are located 3.5 kilometres from Persepolis, and they highlight the importance of the cityscape in this part as the oldest urban area within Pārsa. This research is conducted for the first time after new archaeological discoveries by using multidisciplinary research studies of the joint Iranian- Italian archaeological teams in the Pārsa city of Persepolis , and within the framework of the cooperation agreement between University of Bologna, Archaeology Research Centre, cooperation of Cultural Heritage Organisation, Shiraz University, and Persepolis World Heritage site.

“Historical map of Karun river route toward Shushtar and the source of Zayandeh Rud” is among the historical map series of Khuzestan which was prepared and drawn by Abd Al-Ghaffar in Ramadan 25th, 1299AH. This map illustrates Karun River, Zardkuh Mountains, Dez river in Dezful, Kuhrang Mountain, Zayandeh Rud River as well as coal mines, farms and roads of the region. Najm Al-Mulk, the well-known engineer of Qajar era, has professionally implemented the mapping methods of those years to draw this map. In addition to Najm Al-Mulk’s services to modern engineering and topography of natural areas system of Iran and particularly of Khuzestan, the details of the map are also explained here. The title mentioned in its identity certificate which includes the main Karun River toward Shushtar and the source of Zayandeh Rud, has been chosen as the title of this research. Fortunately, it is known who has drawn this historical map; it is the late Haj Abd Al-Ghaffar Naj Al-Mulk (1839-1908AD), The engineer, historian and astronomer of Naseri era who played a significant role in preparing the geographical maps of Khuzestan. His scientific-engineering records are the indicative of his great activities in this field. Moreover, his “Khuzestan travelogue” is seen as a golden sheet of the history and geography of Khuzestan in Qajar era which can be a valuable heritage for future generations. Based on the data written on the map, it dates back to Ramadan 25th, 1299(1882AD). The name of the drawing location, Tehran, and the drawer’s, Abd Al-Ghaffar, have also been declared on the map. The year 1299AH coincides with 1260SH. Therefore, the map dates back to 136 years ago (based on solar calendar) and 141 years ago (based on lunar calendar). One of the most important traits of this map is illustrating the natural zones, the terrain as well as Karun, Dez and Zayandeh Rud rivers zones which have been shown using particular lines. The lawn and farming surroundings of Karun, Dez and Zayandeh Rud rivers in addition to the longitudinal and transverse shears of Karkonan Mountain are also reported on this map. The sentence “The scale is one part of 20000 parts” shows that the area scale is 1 to 20000 which seems really small in comparison to the river length. The map dimensions are 48×69 cm which seems mediumsized in comparison to the maps existing in the archives of Foreign Affairs Ministry. Among the series of the historical maps remained from Haj Abd Al-Ghaffar Najm Al-Mulk (Najm Al-Doleh), this map has outstanding traits such as showing natural resources including rivers, mountains, the lawn, farms and fertile lands since the ultimate goal has mostly been planning for agriculture and optimal exploitation of rivers as well as getting accurately acquainted with the region to obtain annual taxes. The historical map of “Karun toward Shushtar and the source of Zayandeh Rud” is a clear evidence of such attitude existence. Another noteworthy point is the longitudinal and transverse shears of Karkonan Mountain on such a scale which is a rare one compared to the other maps of Qajar era. This is the indicator of the late Najm Al-Mulk’s precision who was a distinguished cartographer of that era. Keywords: Karun

Seyedun or Seyedun Ali Naghia tomb is located in Nebadan district of Abarghu. This clay monument is a tall dome chamber on the exterior cover of whose dome there are bricks as well as blue and azure tiles. The interior dado is also covered by tiles and the underneath surfaces are decorated with clay Muqarnas, inscriptions and slight painting ornaments. A vast part of the dome cover crumpled probably in 1330sSH (1950s AD) and was renovated some decades later. This building is a mosque attributed to 9th century (AH) called masjid-hosseiniyeh or hosseiniyeh of Nebadan. A small part of it which is part of the attached installations has just remained. It has had an altar whose direction confirmed to the skew Qibla of the congregational mosque and masjidhosseiniyeh of Abarghu. No dated inscription or including the founder name one can be found there. Seyedun Ali Naghia has been briefly inspected in the previous references and is attributed to 8th century (AH) based on Donald Wilber and Godard’s dating while it has been attributed to 6th- 8th centuries (AH) in the national registration file. In this research we try to date the tomb through investigating related documents, its structure and also the comparative inspection conducted during the preparation period of the renovation plan. In addition, we look for the answer to the question whether it was constructed in one single era and when it was built. Its initial function is another issue to be investigated. The dado tiles order, the way of drawing and embellishing Kufic handwriting of the inscriptions and the way of creating squinches in this monument to a great extent resemble 8th century monuments of Yazd and Isfahan. Moreover, the content of the verses written on the inscriptions which alludes to the burial use of them, in addition to above-mentioned traits, arouse the strong possibility of this monument being built as a tomb and for burial purposes. Both the structure and the ornaments are very similar to the damaged tomb of Hasan Ebn-Keikhosro (with an inscription dated 707-718 AH). Since the construction date of that tomb is known, it is likely that Seyedun Ali Naghia was also built in the first quarter of 8th century; the era during which king Mobarez Al-Din could overcome Yazd and Meibod that led to the reign of Mozaffarian dynasty to start. In addition, based on its similarities to 8th century monuments like Seyedun Golsorkhi and Hasan Ebn-Keikhosro domes and through investigating Jame’ Al-kheirat endowment in which Nebadan desert of Abarghu has been mentioned, we conceive that the mentioned buildings were all made in one single era with the fund of a famous figure who might belong to Seyed Rokn Al-Din family. Through investigating the structure of Seyedun Ali Naghia no trace of two different eras was found which leads us to the strong possibility that all of them were constructed in one single era. The content of the inscriptions read in this research for the first time, are Quran-related. We can foresee that more evidences particularly of the original forms of dome covers ornaments would be obtained through future renovations which might in turn reveal other aspects of the monument history.

The findings gathered from the surface of Ghalā Bāng site contain several materials which belong to different periods and no full data about them in the said region are available for example potteries dating back to the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages. This site is located at Bijar, Kurdistan province of Iran. From the viewpoint of scheduling, our data about when the site was active and when abandoned is scarce and roughly unreliable. It seems that this site covers a relatively complete sequence of cultural relics from the pre-history (Neolithic and Bronze ages), historical (Parthian and Sassanian) up to the Islamic period (middle centuries) and it means a treasure for the region. From the other side, an essential part of the site has been ruined due to illegal diggings, inconsiderate urban constructions as well as other developmental activities. There exists a high risk if any immediate action is done, we may never be able to acquire and extract the remaining data. Even if any danger did not threaten the site, its survey and excavation were of pressing need. Now that its destruction and surrounding developmental activities are speedily going on, urgent implementation of such a project is a must. We hope this report functions as an introduction for a more thorough study in future. Accordingly, three focal objectives are targeted in this report: 1- Rescuing the site before full destruction; 2- Gathering archaeological data for removing or reducing existing ambiguities and inadequacies in cultural-historical sequences of the region and its relation with neighboring areas in deferent periods; 3- Site stratigraphy for providing more data about the chronology of the region.
Archaeological excavations, especially the urban archaeology in this site can introduce this property and the region’s historical and natural attractions.


 

The architecture of residential spaces in Isfahan has put forward treasured examples to the world of art and architecture through history. House is one of the most important forms of the social organization of space in which numerous factors have been influential in its construction just like many other human-made complexes. Due to the changes in the recent century, historical houses are severely vulnerable to destruction, especially where houses constitute a significant part of the historical fabric of historical cities in Iran, including Isfahan. Modern development is one of the key factors in the destruction of and changes in the physical appearance of historical houses. They functioned as the identity-making element of the historical fabrics. Albeit they enjoyed many values including physical, functional and expressive aspects, they have been forgotten at present and sometimes become a crisis for a neighborhood. The result of disregarding the historical fabrics is to dishonor their historical and cultural identity. One of the worst destructions of the residential heritage of Isfahan is purposeful setting fire to such houses. After the demise of Allāmeh Olfat, his home has witnessed many damages and challenges. This house is one of the types of the Iranian residential architecture that in addition to physical values, enjoy unrivalled expressive and trans-physical indexes. This house was one of the cultural markers of Hassanabad neighborhood in the past, but it has become the least secure spot of the community at the moment. To achieve peace and security, the residents of the area endeavor to destroy this valuable heritage. Its destruction led in the disappearance of the dwelling pattern and its relevant culture. This research tries to explain the physical structure and function of Olfat House for documentation based on oral interviews, private and governmental archives. The main goal for answering the critical question is to provide scientific documentation of the structure by analyzing its physical and functional characteristics to clarify its values as an example of destroyed residential heritage of Isfahan. To carry out the project descriptive-analytical method has been employed aiming at the development and utilizing library sources, photos, maps, field studies, observation and interview. The collected data has been analyzed through a qualitative method by comparison and interpretation. The results reveal the physical and functional values of the house though studying the historical documents and comparing them with several contemporaneous historic houses in the same neighborhood. The Olfat House was of rare houses in the Qajar period which were equipped with a garden and bathroom.
Moreover, there existed a unique system of connections among a number of the relatives’ houses through dead-end alleys and private passages. The life in the said house was in concert with Allāmeh Olfat’s extensive activities. His activities in the field of culture and sometimes production such as rose water production reveal the trans-residential functions in the house.

Some of the cultural works which are considered as cultural heritage, regardless of their antiquity and precedence, are simultaneously subject of the legal systems of intellectual property rights and cultural heritage law. This situation can lead to a conflict of interest between private ownership and public law which, in turn, may create many problems for the management of cultural heritage when individuals privately own it. This research tries to remedy such problems by introducing solutions for this conflict of interest without any prejudice to the artists’ rights or the public bodies, the representatives of the society, who are the cultural heritage authorities. From the other side, nowadays many museums utilize modern data technologies as a result of advancement in computer and communication sciences. They publish their artistic works in digital version through the internet. In this way, the data and works are easily accessible. Albeit the new technologies facilitate access to and sharing images, videos, archives, books and historical documents, have also created new challenges especially for identification of owners of the said properties. In the cultural heritage realm, there are many reasons to copy human-made artefacts and relicts either for presentation in museums or for research purposes. Among other things, copyright is one of the most disturbing obstacles to developing digital museums. Copyright faces with numerous confrontations as it can be effortlessly violated. Besides, digital items enjoy less stability because they can be simply copied from a distance. Several users can concurrently use them with ease.
Consequently, the cultural heritage authorities should try to implement measures for preventing the violence of copyright. In the end, this paper reaches to the conclusion that management and protection of intellectual properties which also enjoy heritage capacity lead to complicated and multi-faceted problems as they embrace social, historical, cultural, legal and political aspects. On that account, to manage the accessibility and utilization of such collections, all aspects, as mentioned earlier, should be relatively known and taken into consideration. Accordingly, the museums need precise and pre-determined policies and solutions for the proper execution of their tasks, especially when it comes to the management of their intellectual properties. These solutions should assist the museums in meeting their goals and fulfilling their duties. In doing so, the principle of least intervention, management of digital law and monitoring the public access to the collections constitute three vital principles which the Cultural Heritage entity should pay attention to.

Tehran has changed a lot at the time of Nasiruddin Shah. The changes began from the destruction of Tahmāsbī fortress and constructing a new one and development of the city in 1867. These were done because the town was small; therefore, Nasiruddin Shah ordered to make the changes. There is a very few information about the formation of the development and its details. The existing data can be extracted from historical books and newspapers which were published during the Qajar period and left numerous questions unanswered. There are at least two official documents -about the development of Tehran at the time of Nasiruddin Shah- which the researchers neglected to examine. This paper tries to describe the formation and city planning of Tehran at the time by introducing and analyzing the said documents. Disregarding how much the development is in conformity with the said documents, studying their contents clarifies what kind of thoughts on urban planning were accessible for implementing this development. The records under study are kept in the Boyūtāt Album No. 188 existing in the “National Library and Achieves of the Islamic Republic of Iran”. These documents which address Nasiruddin Shah propose some suggestions about the development of the city of Tehran and constructing a new fortress. The author of the documents is unknown. These two documents were firstly published in “Ganjīne-ye Asnad” Magazine along with several other accounts. As there were several mistakes in the first deciphering, I tried to decipher and rewrite the documents scientifically.  Besides their physical specifics, to understand them in the context of Tehran’s historical changes, a summary on the changes in Tehran at the time of Nasiruddin Shah is provided. 
These documents contain numerous and essential facts about city planning that have been in the minds of the founders of the development of Tehran at the time of Nasiruddin Shah. The first document is in two parts; in the first part the author proposes several suggestions about the form and size of the city, and in the second part, he/she aims to provide how to secure the costs. In the second document, the offerer endeavors to enumerate the benefits of the development of Tehran and convince Nasiruddin Shah to accept the suggestions. 
These two documents reveal following points on the development of Tehran: form and size of the town, statistical issues such as the number of residing households, field area, separating needed residential and non-residential uses, how to secure the costs and the labor force. Moreover, these deeds are essential references for the land price in that period as well as measurement units for length and area in large scales, i.e., at city scale at the time of Nasiruddin Shah. Besides, according to these documents, man can prove the relationship between the twelve gates of the Nāsserī fortress with the Shiite twelve Imams.  

Mosque-school is one of the prominent multi-functional buildings in Iranian architecture. It integrates training use with praying function in a single building. These two utilizations were closely practiced and interacted from the advent of Islam, mostly in mosques. The construction of such a building reached its zenith at the Qajar period. The city of Isfahan has always been one of the leading centers of science and religion in the Islamic period of Iran. To that account, noticeable mosque-schools were erected over there. Rahim Khan mosque-school is considered as one of the developed examples of such a building in that city. To perform appropriate conservational and organizational measures in mosque-schools, one needs to know, as much as possible, the relationship between the two training use and praying function at once.
Studying Rahim Khan mosque-school as one of the eminent mosque-schools of Isfahan can provide a better understanding of these buildings, especially the ones which were constructed at the Qajar period. This research employed descriptive and pictorial documents as well as oral history. At the first stage, to identify the date and process of construction, the contemporaneous resources were studied. Then, all inscription installed on the building were re-examined. The inscriptions were chronologically classified. In addition to the inscriptions, field studies and reviewing oral history helped effectively to understand how the building is constructed and its relevant changes. The present article aims to study the physical organs of the praying and training places of Rahim Khan mosque-school and to explain how these organs are interconnected. Besides for the first time, this investigation, based on the studies, intends to provide a clear view of its developmental process. The author succeeded to identify the date and process of its construction by re-deciphering the dates written on the said inscriptions while the field studies were of great help. Interviews with developers and living family and relatives of the founder of the building were also helpful in this regard. It was erected during the ending years of the Qajar dynasty by one of the famous clergymen of the then time in No neighborhood of Isfahan. When the founder died, the building left uncompleted; therefore, Rahim Khan Biglarbeigi and his brothers accomplished the project. Finally, it was entirely constructed during the early years of the 14th century of the Lunar calendar. 

The Coastal area of Nazhvan is located at the riverside of Zayandehrūd River in the western part of Isfahan. In the gardens of this area which are mostly orchards, woodlands full of fruitless trees, owners have constructed architectural spaces and pavilions. One of the prominent architectural spaces within this territory is a mill known as “Asyāb-e Nazhvān or Hājjī”. There stands a two-floor pavilion on the eastern side of the mill, which is the case study of this paper. This mill is almost the only remaining practical mill in the city of Isfahan. The constructional techniques employed and the addition of the pavilion on the mill are unique. This study tries to scrutinize its structural components. The main spaces, comprising of a five-door chamber in center and two three-door rooms at its sides, stand in the first floor. Besides, some space for facilities such a storage room, kitchen and water closet can be seen on the same storey. There is a three-door room on the second floor which is entirely made of wood, and wooden doors and windows constitute its walls except the chimney and ceiling coating. Now the northern three-door room ceased to exists; therefore, a structural imbalance has emerged on the second floor which ruined the roof of the mill. The field studies reveal that the mill has been built and later this two-floor pavilion was added to it. The constructional timing of the mill and its pavilion needs an extensive discussion which should be done in another investigation. 
After this short introduction, the central question is “how has this two-floor pavilion been added to the mill and what kinds of techniques the mason employed to build the pavilion?” Besides, another noticeable issue is the method used to construct a lightweight pavilion to avoid any excessive load pressure on piers and foundation of the mill. Accordingly, the primary goals of this research are the examination of constructional techniques, (technology of pavilion), how it has been added to the mill, its lightweight construction and deliberate structural documentation of this property. Consequently, execution of this research provides a meticulous study of it which will significantly help to its conservation. Based on the field studies, the descriptive-analytical method was employed for investigation. In the end, the studies show that the piers of the pavilion on the first floor were not consistent with the mill’s piers.
For the same reason, the architect has raised the piers of the mill to build the pavilion. Then, he made a network of poles. The roof of the mill was formed by a traditional method of lightweight construction locally known as “Kenu-bandī” to build an even surface for the first floor. Then after, the piers of the pavilion were installed on the network of poles. The architect tried to create a lightweight pavilion to avoid any extra load on the wooden system. In the same line, he constructed the second floor entirely with wood materials. Through this, the network of poles transferred the pavilion imposing load to the piers and foundation of the mill.

Pre-historic pottery investigating is one of the sources that provide a lot of information about the life and art of that time. Among Iranian arts, Pottery is of a greater antiquity, originality and importance and represents people’s culture, beliefs and traditions more than any other art. After basket weaving, pottery has been the first lasting art of mankind. By investigating earthenware motifs, we understand that designs and motifs are sometimes tools or references to express a subject and a matter, and sometimes indicate religious beliefs. One of the most important prehistoric regions and civilizations in the fifth and fourth millennium BC, which has a variety of certain earthenware in terms of the shape of the vessel and type of its motifs, is Tall-i Bakun near Persepolis, which is divided into two parts, Bakun A and B. Pottery production more than the residents’ needs indicates that Bakun’s Buff-wares and Slip-painted Pottery were exported to the surrounding areas. The pen smoothness, the exaggeration of the form and the abstraction are the prominent features of the motifs of this region. Having symbolic meanings as well as being an introduction to visual and alphabetical lines is one of the reasons for the importance of these motifs. In terms of implementation, they are drawn in both naturalistic and abstract forms.
The purpose of this research was to collect and investigate the animal motifs obtained from earthenware and pottery pieces in this area in terms of visual features and qualities.  Therefore, the author seeks common visual features in these motifs. The present study is fundamental in terms of purpose and has been done through a descriptive-analytical method and Library research in data collecting. Finally, after collecting the mentioned patterns and motifs and removing analogous items, 98 of the 178 motifs obtained from these found pottery pieces and earthenware were related to animal motifs and were examined with table tools. A number of these examples are given.
Using table tools, animal motifs were divided into three groups: Quadruped, Birds, and Reptiles. According to the research findings, Quadrupeds which include goats and sheep, Canidae and other Quadrupeds, are at the forefront of animal motifs, with a frequency of 43%, which shows their great importance in the life and beliefs of the people of the region. In the next rank, reptiles include lizards, scorpions, fish and insects, accounting for about 35% of all animal motifs. In terms of the motif’s location, the horizontal rectangle ranks first, with 66% and the rest are located in the vertical and square rectangles. As for the dominant line, Bakuni has used 67% of curved lines in animal design. The predominant direction is also divided into six groups: horizontal, vertical, oblique, horizontal and oblique, vertical and oblique, horizontal and vertical, that most of the reviewed motifs have a predominant horizontal direction. Regarding the texture quality it should be said that 77% of the patterns and motifs do not have special textures and flat colors have been used in drawing them. The composition of these motifs also used asymmetry in 64% of them. 

Jag, scientifically known as Dalbergja sissoo and Shisham_Persian name_, and local names Sassam, Jag, Jagh and Ciso, is a medium-sized tree that often grows in the highlands and along the mountain rivers. Habitats of this plant species have been reported in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and in southeastern Iran in the Makran Heights, Jabal_Barez and Bashkard mountain ranges. Bashkard mountainous areas, the research area of this article; including Kart Zani, Pish Jā, Grish-e Jāsbi, Parkhāsh, Ashnut, Jagdān and Angoharan / Goharan have been reported as the natural habitats for Jag. More specifically, Gi majg _ 1600 AMSL_ and Pisken _ 995 AMSL_ are the habitats that have been reported as a result of local visits (Emtehani and Jazireh-ee 1381:58). The author has also observed this tree and its various uses in the heights of Dar-gwan village, Dar shahr city, Kāhken and Ahviri mountain range.
In linguistic and archeological studies, there is some evidence that firms this tree’s historical uses: the name of this tree and its wood uses are mentioned in Assyrian and ancient Persian texts, and also some parts of it have been found in archeological excavations in Harappa, Mohenjo-daro, Mehrgarh, Tell Abraq and Shahr-e Sukhteh. Most importantly, as the well-known Russian Iranologist and linguist Ilya Gershevitch acknowledges, Darius’s inscription mentions the use of Jag wood in the construction of Apadana palaces of Susa. As a result of a research trip (to record Bashkardi language) to ​​fourteen Bashkard villages and Dar-gwan village, and observing Jag tree and the doors made of its wood, Gershevitch suggests this hypothesis that these woods may have been transported from Bashkard to the sea through Minab River, and then they were taken to Susa. During archeological research in the area, the author found a vessel made of Jag wood in a historical-Islamic area at a mountain hillside near Jagin Dam. Then with locals’ guidance, He saw the Jag tree, near the village of Shun and Sit-e-pirow River at Dar-gwan village heights. Then, searching for the artists, craftsmen and professionals in this field, he found people with the knowledge of the right quality and having the skill of cutting and shaping the trunk and branches of this tree with simple and basic tools in Dar-gwan and kulegh villages.
This article - following valuable reports and researches by Ilya Gershevitch is an attempt to introduce this valuable plant species to the archeological community, a brief mention of historical sources that include the use of Jag, evidence of its use in historical and Islamic times in Bashkard, the possibility of communication between Susa and Bashkard and Jag wood transfer from Bashkard to Susa in order to construct Darius’ palaces. Also, hope that it will be the beginning of further professional studies in this field with the help of other sciences such as ancient languages, ancient botany, ancient climatology and archeology.

Bird dropping in terminology of stone deterioration pattern is a sub branch of deposit decay, means accumulation of exogenic materials, on stone surface, dropping has a main role in deterioration of buildings and stone monuments. Birds not only to build the nests and noisy cause to bother, but also due to transfer of variety disease into human, especially when it drops any place and then this deposit dried and them particles distribution in the space. This problem is important for the investigation of environmental health and conservation aspects. Nevertheless their nests are suitable place for ectoparasite that is hazardous for humans healthy. Recent researches about the effect of biodeterioration of birds dropping showed that the rate of acid content and soluble salts of dropping is about 4% and with this interaction specialty by porous limestone rock due to damage chemicals, dissolved minerals, salts dissolved and etc. in this review article, we investigate the damage role of birds dropping on stone surfaces and considering Bird control method to eliminate or deter pest birds from landing, roosting and nesting.

Iranian architecture has beautiful embellishments that are made of different materials such as tiles, plaster, pottery, stone and wood. Although due to Iran’s hot and dry climate, wood embellishments are less being used, in some cases they have a special and unique place in Iranian architecture. Orosi windows are one of these embellishments which have a special place in various types of architecture, especially in historic houses. In addition to the use of lighting in the houses, Orosi has been used as an artistic element in beautifying the interior and exterior of the houses. Tabriz is one of the cities which have many historical houses with beautiful Orosi windows and various designs. The present study seeks to find common design patterns and colors in historical Tabriz houses’ Orosi windows. In this regard, the method of data collecting is based on library studies and field surveys and based on direct investigation of Orosi windows through documentation, accurate designs surveying, drawing, analysis and comparative comparison of Orosi windows’ patterns. To achieve this goal, two general questions arise: 1) Do Orosi windows used in Tabriz Qajar houses have common patterns in terms of design and construction? 2) If there are similarities, what are the common patterns and contexts? In order to answer the questions raised, as a case study, Mashrooteh, Haidarzadeh and Nikdel historical houses’ Orosi windows have been selected and studied due to their originality, non-intervention during restoration and having a significant and different design and role from each other.
Finally as a result of the investigations it was found that despite the differences, Orosi windows are somewhat similar and included in one category, so that the study in the field of form factor confirms that the design of the main frame is mostly in the form of a three-leaf door with a semicircular impost. Also, the designers of these Orosi windows have shown more interest in rotating patterns than geometry; as a result of which, the craftsmen and carpenters had to use the technique of Qavareh-bori. Reviewing the colors used in these Orosi windows specifies that three colors are fixed, used, and repeated, including red, blue, and green. But in some of these Orosi windows other colors such as yellow or purple have also been used, which have been used as filler or sub-colors. Most of these Orosi windows have green color in the center, red color in the middle, and blue color in the upper parts of the quadrant (Vagireh). Also, by examining the position and amount of colors used, we can notice the color balance and proportion; in each Orosi’s overall color scheme which itself reflects the computational thinking of these Orosi windows’ creators.

The historical route of Bandar Abbas to Lar is a complex consisting of components and elements that has been working in an integrated and interconnected manner.
Investigating this route and associated buildings (caravanserais, water reservoirs, etc.) from the historical periods of Safavid and Qajar to the present time, as well as studying various travelogues in this field, shows the importance and position of this route throughout history and especially the Safavid time. In addition to its economic importance, it has also had special political, cultural and social significance. Many tourists have provided detailed descriptions and explanations on this route and its features, as well as the caravanserais and accommodations along the route in their travelogues. This route was also one of the most important routes in Iran (the spice route) that connected ports and islands of the south to the center, especially Isfahan which was the capital in that time.
 The current route from Bandar-Abbas to Lar is 161 km long, located in the west of Hormozgan province. Approximately 70% of this route is located in Bandar Khamir city and the rest is located in Fars province. This main and inter-provincial route is located on the same historical route with a slight change.
According to the current situation a list composed of caravanserais along this route, with their old names, has been prepared, in order of location from Bandar Abbas to Lar. This list is prepared on the basis of Sadid al-Saltanah-Kababi-Bandar-Abbasi’s travelogue, a native writer of the late Qajar period. 
All caravanserais and related water reservoirs are carefully identified through field and library methods, in terms of their location in relative to the route and other caravanserais, registration status in the list of national monuments, adaptation with the items mentioned in the studies conducted during previous years, and comparative comparison with the other caravanserais located in the province. Despite the large number of caravanserais on this route, only two types of plans can be seen, one type as a central courtyard with rooms around; and the second type of caravanserais with smaller dimensions in form of a cross plan without stables, docks and fences with low facilities. 
The main purpose of this research is to investigate and identify the historical route of Bandar Abbas to Lar and its related elements as well as caravanserais, their location in relation to the current route and typology according to the architectural features.
In the current situation, the intended caravanserais are in similar conditions in terms of being located along the new Bandar Abbas to Lar route, physical condition, use and the damage level. The caravanserais, which are located outside the urban and rural areas, have been completely abandoned and destroyed.
Out of 16 caravanserais along the intended historical route, which are given in the categories, only 7 caravanserais have been registered on the list of national monuments.

Sheikh Safi mausoleum includes a number of buildings of different periods, which Shah Tahmasb first turned them into a single complex. Later, Shah Abbas amended this complex and added important buildings to it. In general, the great importance of this historical monument is reflected in its relationship with the Safavid dynasty. 
According to the travelogues and tourists and historians’ writings and also photos and documents left, the first gate of Sheikh Safi complex, known as Ali-Qapu Transom, has had a magnificent and unique architecture. Unfortunately, due to various reasons, such as exhaustion and damages from war, earthquakes and conscious and unconscious human damages, etc., the remaining parts of this monument were destroyed after surveying the embellishments’ and mosaic tile inscriptions’ remnants  by the order of Mr. Ismail Dibaj, the archeology representative at that time, in the beginning of November 1942. However for some reason Ali-Qapu Transom, the square and the original space of the complex, have been destroyed and despite the damage to the spatial mass of the complex and its originality, today it is necessary to rebuild this historical monument and compensate for this damage and fix it. Achieving the complex’s historical and urban identity and completing it is inevitable. The remaining parts of this historical monument’s tiles are the most important goal and value in the reconstruction of the transom. 
There are many narrations and travelogues about Ardebil, Sheikh Safi al-Din mausoleum and Ali-Qapu Transom until Friedrich Sarre examined the mausoleum in 1897 and published the first correct description of this complex. His research results were published in the form of a book named “Ardebil”, which is one of the most important sources about this historical monument, and due to research activities shortage on Ali-Qapu Transom and the details of its embellishments; this research is of a great importance. Little research has been conducted on Ali-Qapu Transom including: Mesbahi (2009), Rezazadeh (1999), M, E, Vivor (1970). However, the studies and researches that have been conducted on this magnificent building are incomplete, and all the original sources should be re-examined and revised in the original texts.
The purpose of this article is to reach the general architectural design of this monument and to survey and document the mosaic tiles remaining from the transom so that despite the remaining black and white images from the transom’s generalities, the main color and technique of architecture, embellishments and mosaic tiles can be discovered.
The method of this research is based on the available documents, library research, field research and comparative comparison.
The value of any historical monument and old building is in the physical evidence that was made in the same period. The sensitivity of the embellishments and the Transom’s tiles protection is to entrust these documents and historical identity to the next generation correctly and without fail. Reconstruction of this magnificent architecture, which is a symbol, sign and part of the identity of Ardebil city, is inevitable. It is necessary to explain that Dar-al-Aman makes sense with this historical monument, means that it should be given priority with high sensitivity as soon as possible.