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Soleimani P, Razeghi A. (2025). Critical Evaluation of Restoration of the Stone and Tile Mosaic Inscription of the Atigh Mosque of Shiraz, Emphasizing the Authenticity of the Form. Parseh J. Archaeol. Stud.. 8(30), 257-287. doi:10.61882/PJAS.8.30.257
URL: http://journal.richt.ir/mbp/article-1-954-en.html

Abstract
Atigh Jameh Mosque, also known as Masjid-e-Atigh in Persian, is the oldest mosque in Shiraz, Iran. It is situated on the east side of the Shah Cheragh Shrine. The construction of the mosque began in the year 276 and was completed in 281 AH to celebrate the conquest of Shiraz by Saffarid Amroleiss. The mosque has been restored several times during the Atabeg, Timurid, and Safavid eras. It has six entrances, but the main entrance is located on the northern side, which was restored during the Safavid era. This mosque holds a special cultural and historical significance for the people of Shiraz. The Jameh Mosque of Atigh in Shiraz is an exceptional historical mosque in Iran. It boasts unique architectural decorations, including a stone-and-tile inscription placed in the God’s House of the mosque. Pir Yahya Sufi, one of the famous calligraphers in the 8th Hijri century, inscribed the writing of the inscription. According to historical documents, the mosque has been restored several times. Unfortunately, some restoration practices have tarnished the originality of the work by ignoring the calligraphic style of the original description. In the present study, the restored parts of the tile inscription have been examined. The examined parts were compared with other works of Pir Yahya Sufi and with other parts of the original inscription itself. 
Keywords: Atiq Shiraz Mosque, Authenticity, Inscription.

Introduction
The notion of historical region is crucial in understanding a work, as it is inherently transferable from its physical existence to its historical context (Benjamin, 2003). Therefore, it is important to identify, formulate, and evaluate the notion of originality during different historical periods (Araoz, 2008:36). The most common way to prove originality is by demonstrating the historicity of the work, which is not limited to a single era but encompasses the entire historical context in which the work was created and its various influences. Article 12 of The Venice Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites stipulates that replacements of missing parts must integrate harmoniously with the whole, but at the same time must be distinguishable from the original so that restoration does not falsify the artistic or historic evidence (URL‌1). In this respect, inadequate guidelines for restoring inscriptions led to subjective approaches and unfaithful outcomes. When creating an inscription, calligraphy is also an important factor to consider. As such, the conservator must take into account the 12 principles of calligraphy, which include combination, baseline, proportion, weakness, strength, surface, distance, virtual ascent, purity, place, privacy, and magnificence. (Rahjiry n 1967: 48-51.8-51). Architectural inscriptions play a significant role among the decoration of historical buildings and are considered to be live documents. In the research, we examined the restoration work done on a stone-tile inscription from the perspective of its originality. Ignoring the original calligraphic style, visual art principles, as well as the principles of calligraphy, has resulted in irreparable mistakes overriding the originality of the inscription under discussion. As such, before restoring any inscription, the conservator must have a complete understanding of its components. In this case, both the previous restoration methods have been analyzed, and the restored inscription has been studied based on calligraphic principles. 
The Methodology: The study is qualitative. The data were collected from library sources and field studies and compared analytically. The findings showed that during the restoration process, there were noticeable discrepancies between the restored calligraphic parts and those of the original ones. This implies that the conservator did not have sufficient recognition of the original inscription. As a result of excessively arbitrary and justifiable interventions, the conservator tarnished the originality of the mentioned historical work.

Discussion
Preserving the originality of an inscription is crucial, and one of the essential factors that contribute to it is the form and design. By originality of design and form, we mean that the inscription’s initial design and structure must be restored. For instance, if the inscription was initially written in Thuluth or Naskh script, the same calligraphic style must be retained during the restoration process. To evaluate the degree to which this criterion has been met for the inscription under discussion, we need to compare it with other surviving works of Pir Yahya Sufi and examine the original and unrestored parts of the inscription. As such, the restored inscription was compared with the only surviving written work of Pir Yahya Sufi, which is a written copy of the Holy Quran, along with old documents and images. The calligraphic lines of the inscription were compared, letter by letter, to the original works of Pir Yahya Sufi. During the first phase of the analysis, the Arabic letters و and ر in the papillae of the inscription (a triangular prism serving as a support strap) were compared with three surviving images, which included original parts, newly restored parts, and handwritten copies of Pir Yahya Sufi. This comparison revealed differences in the calligraphic styles of the letters. However, the similarity between the survived calligraphic lines of the inscription and those of handwritten copies suggested that the papillae area must have been the restored part. While in the papillae part, the Arabic letter “و” was written with an upward inclination, the other two letters of و were sharp and inclined downward. A noticeable difference was observed in the way that the word “Allah” was written in the handwritten copy of Pir Yahya Sufi compared to the restored inscription under study.  In the handwritten copy of Pir Yahya Sufi, the last letter of the word “Allah” is inclined upward. However, in the restored inscription, the last letter of the word “Allah” is inclined downward. Additionally, the calligraphic style of the letters “د” and “ل” in different parts of the inscription were examined and found to be similar to those in the handwritten copies that were studied. Likewise, upon studying the calligraphic style of the letter ر, it was found to be similar in all handwritten copies. Different parts of the inscription involving this letter were considered to be the main parts. If we examine the handwritten copies of Pir Yahya Sufi closely, we can see that the calligraphic style of the letters such as م, ر, and د is elongated and inclined leftward and downward. The Arabic word “من” has been written in a similar calligraphic style both in the restored inscription and the handwritten copies of Pir Yahya Sufi. The Arabic letter م has been written with a broken curvature, at the button, and a turned-up extension.  

Conclusion
The preservation of the originality of works of art has been a major concern among art conservators for years. It can help experts to methodically restore historical monuments. In this study, we focused on one of the most outstanding monuments in Iran, which had undergone significant damage. We aimed to analyze the stone-tile inscription of God’s House in Atigh Mosque while keeping the original form and shape intact. It is important to consider the form of the work when dealing with it as ignoring it can lead to damaging its originality. During the study, the restoration of the inscription had been done unjustifiably due to ignoring the calligraphic style, form, and design. To rectify this, we conducted field studies and gathered various works of Peer, the calligrapher of the inscription, to analyze the restored parts. We compared them with the surviving original parts of the inscription and with handwritten copies of Pir Yahya Sufi for further examination. After conducting a restoration on the inscription, it was discovered that there is a noticeable difference between the calligraphy style of the restored parts and the original ones. This is especially evident when comparing the surviving photos of the original inscription. For example, the Arabic letter و has been written differently in the restored version, with some parts sloping downwards and others upwards. However, in the surviving original copies of Pir Yahya Sufi kept in Pars Museum in Shiraz, the letter و is inclined downward. The restoration of works of art, especially those with inscriptions or works by known calligraphers, requires sensitivity. Conservators must thoroughly examine the work from different angles and understand the calligrapher’s style before taking any action. Each calligrapher has their unique style, which must be taken into account during restoration. Tarnishing the originality of the work is equivalent to fabricating the inscription, which must be avoided. By analyzing and criticizing the restoration of architectural decoration and inscriptions, the historical fabric can be preserved.