Knowledge of Conservation and Restoration

A Study of Theoretical and Practical Geometry for the Restoration of Karbandi with an Emphasis on the Construction of the Sedqiani House Pond in Tabriz

Ahad Nejad Ebrahimi

Kārbandi is one of the important elements in Iranian architecture. It is recognized for its successful combination of geometric knowledge and the architectural skill of artists and architects. It is seen as an example of the genius blend of geometry and architecture in Islamic-era Iranian architecture. Kārbandi is also considered one of the techniques used for arch coverings. This structural and decorative element, like other architectural ornamentes, becomes worn and damaged over time. According to studies, the usual approach to its preservation and restoration involves superficial examination and localized repairs without considering its theoretical and practical geometry. The distinction made between Kārbandi and Rasmi-bandi is not highly trusted by restorers, and neglecting the background of Kārbandi leads to differences in form and even structure during restoration planning. Therefore, when beginning any intervention for the restoration of Kārbandi, it is essential to fully identify the related theoretical and practical geometric aspects. With this goal, the present research is developed to critique the restoration of the historic Sedqiani House's Kārbandi, which was carried out in 2013 by the Technical Office of the Islamic Art University of Tabriz. The results show that in the restoration and execution of Kārbandi, alongside geometry, the materials used, the context of its formation, and the desires, taste, and creativity of the traditional architect also play a decisive role.

Evaluation of Protective Coatings at the Takht-e Soleyman World Heritage Site and Assessment of Replacing Semi-Baked Semi-Crushed Gypsum Plaster Instead of Kahgel Plaster

Hamid Fadaei

Kahgel plaster has been a common method for protecting architectural structures at the Takht-e Soleyman World Heritage Site. Primarily applied to stone and brick structures, this plaster has proven inadequate in the site's mountainous, high-rainfall climate with sub-zero temperatures, leading to significant erosion. This study investigates the potential of replacing Kahgel plaster with traditional half-baked, half-crushed gypsum plaster as a protective coating for walls and architectural remains. The aim is to prevent moisture penetration while minimizing the new coating's own deterioration. Field research, including observation and documentation, was employed to gather data. Results indicate that the use of traditional gypsum mortar as a restoration material at the site has been successful. Derived from pounded and crushed kiln-fired gypsum stone, this mortar exhibits similar characteristics to the original mortars and offers adequate strength in the region's harsh climate. Consequently, it presents a viable sacrificial coating alternative to Kahgel plaster.

A Study on the Removal of Confusion Caused by Urban Utilities in the Historical Landscape of Yazd's Vaght o Saat Square

Ali Shahabinejad

One of the most serious disturbances that historic urban spaces face today is confusion to their appearance and landscape. Among the most significant factors contributing to visual disturbances in the appearance of historic urban spaces are urban utilities, including electrical, gas, telecommunications infrastructure, and similar facilities. One of the successful experiences in addressing the visual damage caused by urban utilities is the regeneration project of Vakht-o-Saat Square in Yazd.This square, dating back to the Safavid era, and whose historical site has roots
in the Ilkhanate period, suffered from numerous visual and aesthetic problems before the implementation of the Vakht-o-Saat Square regeneration project. In the regeneration project of Vakht-o-Saat Square, prepared in 2018 by the Yazd University's Institute of Indigenous Architecture and implemented between 2020 and 2023 by Yazd Historical District Municipality in collaboration with the Yazd Provincial Department of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism, significant portions of the square's visual and aesthetic damages caused by urban utilities were eliminated. This article aims to describe the process of this project using a descriptive-analytical method and to explain the
implementation actions taken to the visual and aesthetic damages caused by urban utilities in this square.

Technological and Damage Analysis of the Plinths in the Rooms ofShams-ul-Amara

Maryam Kian Asl

In 1282 A.H. (1865 C.E.), the Shams-ul-Amara building was commissioned by Naser al-Din Shah Qajar and constructed under the supervision of Dost Ali Khan Moaierol Mamalek in the eastern part of the Tehran Citadel. As the first five-story building in Tehran, Shams-ul-Amara holds significant architectural and historical importance. The plinths of the rooms across its five floors are adorned with oil-painted tile decorations, executed in a predominantly European style. These paintings were created by a group of artists and their students, as evidenced by variations in
their execution techniques. The method of oil painting on glazed tiles was a unique innovation that was not replicated in subsequent architectural projects. However, these paintings are now experiencing extensive deterioration, including disintegration, pulverization, and collapse. This article aims to identify and analyze the factors contributing to the damage of these oil-painted tile artworks. It is hypothesized that the varying degrees of damage observed on each floor are influenced by differences in the tiles' placement, the composition of the lining materials, the application methods, and other mechanical and environmental factors. Additionally, the prolonged exposure of these tiles to moisture absorption from the walls, combined with the tension caused by the oil painting technique, has led to physical stress. This stress manifests in the form of paint detachment, separation of relief patterns along tile seams, and breakage at the corners of rhombus-shaped tiles installed on the walls. This study employs a descriptive-analytical approach, with a focus on the lining layer as the most critical factor in the deterioration process. The findings suggest that the lining layer fails to adequately protect the painted surface, leading to the eventual collapse of the paint layer.

echnical Review of Decorative Elements from the Combina- tion of Plaster and Brick: A Case Study of the Plaster Orna- ments at the Soltanieh Dome in Zanjan

Mostafa Karimi Fard

The creativity artistry in using plaster alongside other materials to decorate buildings has long been of interest to architects. Brick and plaster are two materials that have created various forms of decoration together, and this study examines the technology of various types of these techniques. The enormous Soltanieh Dome is one of the most important mausoleums in the world, and plaster is the dominant decoration in this building. One of these decorations is the combination of plaster and brick, which stands out as a physical decoration. How this type of plaster decoration emerged, examining the various methods of its implementation, and the method of creating decorations independent of the combination of brick and plaster are among the topics of interest in this article. The research method is based on the analytical-descriptive method. Data collection is based on objective observations and the author's workshop experiences, using books, documents, and articles on plastering techniques in Iranian architecture. In the studied example of the Soltanieh Dome, the creation of a common type of these decorations during the Ilkhanid period is depicted on the wall. In some parts, these decorations are only on the joints and next to the bricks, and in other parts, they are worked on the entire surface of the bricks and with brick patterns. During the restoration and reconstruction
of some of these decorations, the techniques used in creating the designs have been understood, so that plastering in situ for the joints is the artist's first priority, and after the joints are covered with plaster, the decorations are applied. The use of paint, which complements the implementation of these decorations, helps to define the boundaries of the brickwork, as the presence of red ochre pigment, yellow ochre pigment, and carbon black has been partially proven in this building.

The Necessity of Revising Conservation and Restoration Service ApproachesforArchitecturalDecorationsinResponsetoUnveil- ingHistoricalEvidenceDuringExecutionProcesses(CaseStudy: ArchitecturalDecorationsofQutbal-DinHaydar’sMausoleum)

Mozhgan Mousazadeh

The architectural decorations used in historical buildings are among the most prominent distinguishing features and reliable criteria for identifying and understanding the style, period, identity, and architectural characteristics of each era. It appears that the execution framework, style, and construction materials of historical buildings and their architectural decorations have had a direct or indirect relationship with factors such as invasions, the dominance and maturation of styles and tastes, the duration of historical periods, the exercise of power, perspectives, and shifts in attitudes over time. This report is based on case studies and library research conducted by the author on the restoration efforts and supervision of the architectural decorations of the Timurid-era mausoleum of Qotb al-Din Haydar from 2011 to 2023. These studies raised significant questions regarding the historical background, diversity of styles and materials used in the building's foundation, as well as the number and variety of decorative layers. The allocation of funding and meticulous examination for the preparation of the executive action plan for conservation and restoration in 2023 provided a valuable opportunity to analyze and identify components of the tangible and intangible heritage of the architecture and architectural decorations. These components included variables such as the discovery of diverse underlying decorative layers during executive actions, intricacy, color schemes, symbols, motifs, signs, styles, inscriptions, and written documentation. These elements were intertwined with the overall complex of Qotb al-Din Haydar's mausoleum, the architecture of the mosque, caravanserai, surrounding area, the mystical persona of Qotb al-Din Haydar, and civic devotion. The process of executive actions and the details of the action plan were modified and enhanced in such a way that the necessity of analyzing hidden aspects, preventive conservation, and the presentation and display of architectural and decorative evidence in the form of a museum titled "From Architecture to Decorations" was proposed and deemed feasible. This museum could serve as an effective step toward preserving and showcasing this valuable heritage.

Conservation and Restoration of the Oldest Gypsum-Based Inscription with Tokhmeh-Gozari Technique Belonging to the Sayyid Fathullah Mausoleum in Varamin-Iran

Yaser Hamzavi

The importance of architectural decorations and particularly the remained inscriptions that contain valuable information from distant times is not hidden from anyone. Therefore, it is very vital to preserve these precious artworks. The upcoming research is related to one of the oldest and rarest gypsum-based architectural decorations worked with a rare technique called Tokhmeh-Gozari. The Tokhmeh- Gozari technique have been worked in a limited number due to the difficulty in implementation, and only few number of them are passed to us. This historical work is a written and two-color inscription in Thuluth script in the Sayyid Fathullah mausoleum in Varamin. This mausoleum, which was registered in the list of national monuments in 2004, belongs to the Ilkhanid era. Also, the mentioned inscription with dimensions of 65 * 150 cm, was executed in three lines and had damages such as structural cracks on the surface along with the chemical damages. According to the decision of the trustees of the mausoleum to destroy the inscription, and also knowing that this inscription is among the oldest gypsum-based cast decorations with Tokhmeh-Gozari technique, the aim of this research is to preserve the work in its original location (the northern side of the mausoleum) and
restore it according to the best possible method. In order to achieve the most appropriate method of restoration of this inscription, the ethics
of restoration interventions were adjusted according to the artwork. And the practical part of the work, respectively included; Structural consolidation of the inscription, peeling off the inscription that led to the discovery of another inscription, mechanical and chemical cleaning, consolidating the mortar structure using fabric paste, surface stabilization, filling the lacuna using colored gypsum mortar, framing the inscription. Also, after finishing the restoration process of the artwork, it became possible for the audience to read the inscription carefully and to comprehend its conceptual content thoroughly, and the date of its creation, was revealed.

Conservation and Restoration of Five Pieces of Gypsum-Based Architectural Ornaments Found in the Historic Site of Shadiakh in Nishabur

Yaser Hamzavi

Nishabur city, located in Razavi Khorasan, is one of the oldest cities in Iran, which contains various historical sites, including Shadiakh. In 2003, during archaeological excavations, a large number of gypsum-based ornaments were found in this area. One of the most important parts of this historical site is known as Public Hall. This hall consists of four porches overlooking an octagonal space in the middle, which leads to the adjacent spaces through four doors and four corners. These five pieces discussed in the current research also belong to the public hall part of this collection. This research is organized with the aim of finding the most suitable method of conservation and restoration of these valuable ornaments. The main damages on these pieces include deep cracks, surface contamination such as dust, dirt, spider webs, unprincipled repairs during excavation, missing parts, deep holes, scratches, and etc. In the following article, after examining the appearance and stating the damages on the parts, the intervention ethics are discussed and restoration procedures were carried out. These procedures include mechanical and chemical cleaning using bistoury and distilled water, stabilization using 5% Plextol in ethanol, consolidating cracks and deep holes using textile paste, testing the color of gypsum mortar and finally using Gypsum mortar to cover the cracks and bricks of the support.