logo

Search published articles


Showing 2 results for Soltani

Shahriar Nasekhan, Mehdi Soltani, Mahmoud Setayesh Mehr,
year 2, Issue 3 (5-2018)
Abstract

Abstract
The security has always been of the main human concerns. So, the human has always been looking for founding ways to reduce the effects of threatening factors himself. Since the country of Iran in the past have been exposed to a variety of military attacks by different nations and neighboring tribes, issue of defense in architecture and urbanization of Iran a lot of effect, that fortress, fence, tower, ditch, and… has been for this work. The fortresses have been military or civilian fortification that with using natural geographic features, and for maintain security, generally built in the mountains. Bafran is one of the historic cities of the Nain that located alongside ancient way Ray to Kerman. The fortresses as the most important representation of the defense system in past, were have a lot of variety. A number of these fortresses have been located outside the residential area and alongside the farms. The fortresses under study in this research is contains of Ghale Rig, Ghale Razi, Ghale Ali Abad, Ghale Sori, Ghale Hoseyn Abad, Ghale Yekeh Derakht, and Ghale Rostam. In this research has been used from the method of descriptive - analytical and interview with informed people in area. Because these fortresses haven’t been mention in historical written sources (history books, travelogues, and …), authors of this article have emphasized on field studies and observations. The results this research, indicates that fortresses of Bafran are includes three species: the fortresses of temporary residence in times of insecurity, fortresses surrounding the village, and fortresses of rulers. Among the fortresses under study in this research, Ghale Rostam, because of location and for physical and architectural features it, in the past defense system of Bafran has been role a more important.
Keywords: Defense Architecture, Typology, Fortresses in Plane, Bafran, Nain.

Introduction
Fortress has been a building that located on top of a mountain or a high place, and people at all times of the day reside in it. About abundant clayey fortress in the Iran plateau hasn’t been done much research; so, dating these fortresses aren’t easy, because each fortress has been used for several periods. The surveys have been shown about these fortresses, most of them are related to Achaemenid, Seleucid, Parthian, and Sassanid periods that have been used in the subsequent periods of Islamic era and even until now. These buildings have made for a variety of purposes; the smallest fortresses have been used for checkpoint or military post and the biggest them used for fortresses of military and defense and caravans (Siroux, 1979: 54). Based on available evidence, building of the fortress was common until the late Qajar period. After that, with the invention of advanced military weapons as: bomber, rocket, and …, the military fortresses were lost their significance. In Bafran city are number of fortresses that each fortress has own characteristics. So far no research has been done on these castles. In this research, Ghale Rostam maps were drawn by authors that these plans for first time are done from this fortress. The main questions of this research include the following: Which are the Bafran fortresses؟ How can categorize them? What are the architectural features of Ghale Rostam? And, why is Ghale Rostam more important than other fortresses in Bafran? 

Bafran fortresses
Ghale Rostam
This fortress is located in adjacent to Ghadamgah Imam Reza and on top of a hill and at a height of 25 meters from the earth’s surface. The plane of this fortress is rectangular and has a length of 48 meters and 20 centimeters and a width of 12 meters and 47 centimeters. Ghale Rostam with an interior space of 500 square meters, the fortress has been strong.

Ghale Sori, Ghale Razi, Ghale Rig, and Ghale Ali Abad
At the moment, Ghale Sori and Ghale Rig have been completely destroyed, and doesn’t exist possibility to study and field survey of these fortresses. From the Ghale Razi and Ghale Ali Abad are few remnants them.

Ghale Hoseyn Abad
This fortress is located in Hoseyn Abad field and outside the residential area, and in the northwest of Bafran city. Ghale Hoseyn Abad is to form of square and with four rounded towers in four corners.

Ghale Yeke Derakht
This fortress is located in Yeke Derakht field. Now, from Ghale Yeke Derakht is remain two north and northwest towers, and the rest of this building is demolished due to the passing of time and erosion. 

Conclusion
The Baferan fortresses to three types are divisible based on location and their function. Ghale Rostam has been the fortress of insecurity times, because this fortress is located on top of a hill and at a height of 25 meters from the earth’s surface. The Ghale Sori, Ghale Razi, Ghale Rig, and Ghale Ali Abad are located in around the village, and they have been expletory of protection of the village. The Ghale Hosein Abad and Ghale Yeke Derakht have been fortresses of rulers. These fortresses have been a form of square, and with thick and high walls, and with towers in four corners. Various residential and service spaces as rooms, warehouses, stables, and… in around of yard are considered from architectural features of these fortresses.

Zahra Rezasoltani, Mitra Shateri,
year 8, Issue 29 (12-2024)
Abstract

Abstract
With the election of Isfahan in 1597 A.D. As the capital of the Safavid dynasty, many buildings were built in the city, most of their interior and exterior surfaces were decorated with tiles. The miniaturists of this era came to the help of tile artists and created beautiful and eye-catching works by drawing various motifs. In the Safavid period, and with the flourishing of the Isfahan school, the restriction of human figures, disappeared. According to this study, with the aim of relative dating of tiles by comparing their human motifs with the dated miniatures motifs of this period, has tried to answer these questions:  What effects did the painting of the Safavid period have on the human motifs of the tiles of this period, and these effects How can it be used in the dating of tile paintings? The method of gathering the findings of this research; Findings were made through library and field studies and by identifying more than 80 tile frames with human figures from non-religious buildings and works in different museums, and the research method is descriptive, analytical, and comparative. The results of the research indicate that the human motifs on the tiles from the Isfahan school of the Safavid period have been deeply influenced, and according to the themes of the motifs, the characteristics of the drawing of clothes (Turbans, hats, shawls wrapped around the waist, long and flowery dresses), facial expressions, eyebrows, even The type of designed dishes and their matching with the motifs of figures, it is possible to consider the time period between the end of the first half to the beginning and the end of the second half of the 11th century AH for the frame of the tiles.
Keywords: Safavid Period, Dating, Human Figure, Tile, Painting.

Introduction
Tiling is one of the practical methods in architectural decoration. Since the invention of tile, this art and craft has been used in a wide way to enhance and cover the surfaces of interior and exterior of Iranian buildings. With the emergence of the Safavid dynasty, art and craft found a new life and the Safavid rulers, who were art lovers, made their court as the center of artistic and industrial gathering. Although the art of tiling is not considered an innovative art of the Safavid period, but in this time, it was not limited to the mere adaptation and imitation of the art of the predecessors, and the expansion and manifestation of this art was given special attention. The motifs drawn on the tiles of this period were more diverse than in the past, and included all types of plant motifs, geometrical, inscriptional, human, animal and even mythological motifs, while in the Timurid period, mostly plant motifs, geometrical, and inscriptional were drawn and the use of human and animal motifs was not acceptable. Such a trend had an influence on painting and, as a result, the motifs drawn on the tiles of the early Safavid period, as the tiles of the first Safavid period mostly had geometrical, Islimi and inscription motifs, but gradually with the flourishing of the Isfahan school of painting and the tendency abundant with human images, the use of single faces in terracotta works and tiles also spread.
Since the drawing of motifs on the tiles and pottery of each period was done by contemporary painters and in line with the common painting school, based on this, the following article has tried to study the human motifs of the tiles left over from the Safavid period (on buildings or separated from them).
Research questions: The current research has been carried out in the direction of the relative dating of the tiles with human motifs that have remained from the Safavid period, so the main questions of this research are What effects did the painting of the Safavid period have on the human motifs of the tiles of this period, and these effects How can it be used in the dating of tile paintings?
Research method: In this research, the information is collected through collecting library documents and texts, and field investigations in works, buildings (such as baths and churches) and museums and indoor collections (such as national museum) and  museums of outside Iran (such as the Louvre or Metropolitan) have been collected. In this regard, 80 tile frames with human motifs, all were made in underglaze technology, were identified, 13 frames are still in the buildings, in their own place, and all of them are in the city of Isfahan and the rest, are separated from their main places and scattered in museums and collections inside and outside of Iran. It should be mentioned that for comparison, 50 paintings of Isfahan style, which have human motifs and have the most similarity in terms of subject and theme, style and execution method with the human motifs of the tiles, were selected. Based on the research goal and questions; the research method are descriptive, analytical and comparative.

Research background
Based on the investigations carried out, it can be said that the researches that have been carried out on the motifs of the Safavid period tiles have mostly focused on plant motifs, geometrical, and inscription motifs, and have only pointed to human motifs. Their relative dating also has not been researched. The most important references made in this area among the sources of the first category belong to travelers such as “Pietro Della Valle” (2005), who in his travelogue briefly discussed the general patterns of the tiles of this period. Among the second-hand sources, researchers such as “Sourani”(2017) have investigated the effects of painting on human and animal motifs of Safavid period fabrics. “Bakui” (2014) has also paid attention to the investigation and comparative study of the human motifs of the metals of this period. “Reisi” (1990) briefly mentioned only the introduction of a few human motifs in some of the buildings left from this period. “Mansouri Jazabadi” (2013) investigated different motifs of Safavid to Qajar bathroom tiles in the city of Isfahan and among the introduction of different motifs, she also discussed some human motifs. Despite these studies, no independent and focused research has been done on the human motifs of the tiles and their relative dating with other works, which is what the present study aims to achieve.

Discussion 
The spread of Isfahan’s painting style had an impact on all arts such as tile work, metal work, pottery, or cloth weaving. This was more evident in the art of tiling, because the selection of Isfahan as the capital led to an increase in the process of urban development and the construction of various private and public works and buildings, and the need to cover their internal and external surfaces with tiles quickly. This was made possible with the help of seven-color (Haft Rang) tile technology. Among the motifs drawn on the tiles, human motifs found a revival after centuries, but these motifs were mostly used in the decoration of palaces, baths and churches. Since it was not customary to mention the date of making the tiles with human motifs, nowadays it is enough to attribute them to the Safavid period. Whereas, by classifying the themes and matching and comparing the elements in the tiles’ patterns with figures, a relatively more accurate history can be obtained.

Conclusion 
By checking and studying the themes of the collected tiles and also examining the way of drawing motifs, we can be witnessing the influence of the Isfahan school by carefully observing the details of the patterns on the tiles. What is often seen in the paintings of the Isfahan school are motifs of flower-watching and recreation scenes by men and women in gardens, motifs of everyday life scenes, single faces, hunting or escape, which can also be seen in the surviving examples of tiles from this period. Investigations indicated that there are many similar features in the patterns of the tiles with Isfahan style paintings. The most important commonalities can be classified into four general sections. Drawing facial and body expressions; Clothing and its types; Objects in the scenes such as containers or patterned backs; and natural elements such as trees, flowers and bushes. So following the painting style of the Isfahan school with careful attention to the details of the motifs, the enlargement of motifs in the middle of the frame and the dominance of motifs over the frame and the placing of single faces in the center can be clearly seen in the collected examples.
In general, according to the matching of the mentioned cases on the frames with the paintings, it seems that the tiles with human motifs with hunting themes and themes of young people studying in the time frame of the first half of the 11th century A.H.(16th A.D) and human motifs with the themes of flower procession and fun and single faces are placed in the second half of the 11th century A.H.(17th AD) according to the European clothes, aprons and hats.


Page 1 from 1