Abstract
Vaqf (endowment) is one of the admirable Islamic traditions which have made the Muslims construct the buildings and different complexes based upon religious advises and also fair-minded of devotees such as kings and their relatives, ministers, politician, princes, merchants, and the other fair-minded people during the Islamic period. Most of these buildings still survived and lasted up to now. The nature of the devotion and its existence reasons not also was the cause of public utility constructions but also has guaranteed the preservation of those buildings and their urban zones. The Safavid period was one of the flourishing periods in terms of public utility constructions in the frame of devotion. This study aims to introduce the Aligholi complex and the influence of devoting traditions and its consequences on how it lasted from the construction till now. The base of this study is around educing devoting deed information of Aligholi Agha complex and benefitting from its contents and comparing the stated cases to the existing position and showing this point that how a building or complex-forming under the support of devoting system, and how devotee could guarantee the survival and durability of the complex after the construction.To influence the preservation of religious buildings and to regulate the urban zone around them, in this article we have studied the historical complex of Ali Qoli-Agha, which is an architectural masterpiece of Safavid era public buildings in Isfahan and formed within the framework of the endowment. In addition to regulating and forming the urban zone around it, this complex has also been the cause of its preservation and survival in the following periods. The Aligholi Agha historical complex is an architectural masterpiece of public utility in the Safavid period in Isfahan. This valuable historical complex has been built in the late Safavid period by the order and economical support of Aligholi Agha, who was one of the eunuchs in Shah Sultan Hussein Safavid’s court and then devoted to charity affairs. This historical complex included a mosque, bath, Bazar, Sagha Khane, Timche, Caravanserai, school, and Zoorkhane, which the three late places have ruined during the time.
Keywords: Vaqf (endowment), Formulation, Urban Context, Safavid Architecture, Aliqli Agha Bath.

Introduction
One of the objectives of this study is the effect of the endowment tradition and its consequences on the formation of public buildings and the durability and survival of such complexes from the time of construction to the present, with a case study of the Aligholi Agha complex as one of the complexes established in the Safavid period in the city of Isfahan. In this study, we seek to answer issues such as how the endowment affects the formation of the Aliqoli-Agha complex and its role in shaping the urban zone around us, and the preservation and survival of this complex from the time of construction onwards. The basis of this research is around extracting the contents of the endowment deed of Alighali Agha complex and benefiting from its contents and matching the items mentioned in it with the current situation and stating how a building or complex is formed under the endowment support and after construction, the endowment tradition and how the Vaqif (the person who endows) conditions could have ensured its permanence and survival.
With the development and flourishing of the architecture of the Islamic period in the Safavid era, the construction of religious and public buildings such as mosques, schools, baths, caravanserais, bridges, in the form of a complex in the city appear. During this period, the practice of constructing public benefit complexes with the financial support of kings and other philanthropists and benevolent of that period and the interest in this type of architecture under the influence of Vaqf spread. In addition to the influence of Vaqf as a factor influenced by religion, other factors including political, cultural, and economic factors have also played a role in their creation. The collections are formed together with the construction of a mosque, bazaar, bath, caravanserai, and school, such as the beautiful complex of Dar Dasht (Shah Abbas I period, 1660 BC). The complex of Vazir (Shah Abbas I period), Saroutaghi complex (Shah Abbas II period, 1673BC) in Isfahan were among them and the complex under our research, namely the Aligholi-Agha complex, is one of the most significant of these complexes, which will be built at the end of this period with the creation of the original core of the complex, namely the neighborhood mosque, in 1744 BC, respectively, Caravanserai, School and Zurkhaneh have been added to it, the last three of which have been destroyed during the last three decades.
One of the valid and important endowments of the Safavid period is the endowment deed complex named after him: school, mosque, bazaar, two baths, and other personal property such as mills, agricultural lands, qanats, and gardens. One of the things that give credence to this endowment is the signs and seals of several high-ranking persons, scholars, and prominent personalities of this period in different parts of this endowment deed. 

Conclusion
Accordingly, the Aligholi Agha complex in Bidabad quarter of Isfahan in the form of a quarter center with maximum preservation of the original complex as an urban space that with its physical elements has influenced the formation and regulation of the surrounding texture has been studied as a case study. This research is of historical-analytical type and has been done by library study method by reviewing the relevant materials and also referring to first-hand sources such as endowment letters from the collection as well as reviewing and surveying the historical context and its existing buildings. The questions that are followed in this research are: 1- How has the tradition of waqf and the conditions governing it influenced the formation of the Aliqoli Agha complex and the formation of the texture around it? 2- What has been the role of waqf in preserving and surviving the Aliqli-Agha complex since its construction?
Considering the importance of Aliqoli Agha endowment complex in Bid Abad historic quarter of Isfahan, which is a clear example to show the role of endowment in the formation of this complex and its impact on the formation of the surrounding urban fabric, as well as durability and survival from the construction period to the present according to tradition. The preferred endowment is selected as a case study in the framework of this research. In this regard, the valuable endowment document of Aliqoli-Agha collection has also been studied and its important and key points include quality of endow the collection by Aliqoli Agha, the location of the collection in the neighborhood, endowment places and competitions dedicated to endowments, appointing a trustee, custodian, and supervisor, how to maintain and protect the collection, the names of people present at the meeting and their seals and signs at the end of the endowment and some important points This document has been analyzed in line with the objectives of the research.

Abstract
Bulbous domes are among discontinuous double-shell domes and were built in Iran in the early nineth century A.H. Previous domes were shaped pointed and there was no bulge coming out beyond their base diameters. But in the Timurid period, dome profile was changed so that it began a return below the base of the arch, producing thereby a slight bulge. The main question is that what are the reasons for the changes in the appearance and structural elements between two shells after the initial formation of these domes in Central Asia and then their evolution in Iran. This research is written with the aim of finding the hidden aspects in the development of bulbous domes based on both historical documents, and architectural remains, and also examines the reasons of the changes created in these kinds of domes during four centuries in the context of cultural Iran. This study has a descriptive-analytical approach for exploring case studies, which are selected based on primary and secondary sources and also field research. The appearance changes of bulbous domes include removing flutes from the outer shell, adjusting the height of the drum and creating more bulge at the place where the outer shell joins the drum. In this article, the structural changes to improve the strength of the domes, the change in the number and proportions of the stiffeners to prevent the damage of the dome, as well as the shape and arrangement of the wooden struts to increase domes flexibility against seismic shocks, have been examined.
Keywords: Bulbous dome, narrow ribs, stiffeners, wooden struts, Timurid-Safavid architecture.

Introduction
Since the most obvious feature of Timurid architecture is its splendor, the architects of this period paid special attention to the dome than other architectural elements. In this era, domes were raised on high drums, and in order to achieve desired height on the exterior, architects usually built another shell on the top of the internal one. In such a way the dome profile is changed, so that it began a return below the base of the arch, producing thereby a slight bulge. Therefore, the bulbous dome is one of the innovations of the Central Asian architects during the Timurid period. The first cases of the bulbous domes in Central Asia have flutes on the outer shell; in addition, they have an oval-shaped structure. Construction of this domes continued with a few changes during the reign of Timur’s successors in Great Khorasan and within the current borders of Iran. To put it more clearly, after the Timurid period and during the rule of Safavids in Iran, construction of these domes continued with few changes. This study is dedicated to the analysis of the process of changes and also reasons for these changes in the appearance and structural elements of the bulbous domes according to the case studied in Central Asia and Iran during the Timurid and Safavid eras. The main question is, what changes have occurred in the appearance as well as structural elements, and as a result, the stability of these domes in the Timurid and Safavid periods in Central Asia and Iran, and what were the reasons for them.
Theoretical method of this research is based on the cultural history approach. Therefore, each case is viewed as a culture. Concerning this, three domes were selected from different regions of Central Asia (Turkestan, Samarkand, and Herat) and seven cases from Iran (Khorasan and Isfahan). Three main criteria for selecting the case studies can be listed: 1. Geographical and historical context; 2. Similarities of the cases during the Timurid period in Central Asia and the Safavid period in Iran, and; 3. Authenticity of the domes.  

Discussion
All the studied domes in Central Asia have a lofty cylindrical drum. The height of the drums was adjusted in Iran during the Timurid era, in Khorasan and also in the central regions of Iran. It is worth to mention that, construction of high drums in Central Asia, during the reign of Timur, and in Iran, during the reign of Shah Abbas I, can be seen as an expression of the visual effects of architecture as a manifestation of the power and reflection of the perfectionist personality of those Kings. 
The most important exterior characteristic of the studied domes is in the external shell (Avgon), where the drum and the external shell connected to each other. Therefore, in the bulbous domes, part of the weight load of the outer shell at the junction of the dome and drum is directed inward and less pressure is applied to the base of the monument.
Flutes move from their common place at the top of the external shell to the bottom, and transfer forces and lateral loads to the inside, and enhance the resistance of the dome against the thrust forces.
In Central Asia’s domes, we couldn’t find narrow ribs on the surface of internal shell. This is despite the fact that in most of the studied cases from the Safavid period, narrow ribs were used to transfer the weight of the stiffeners to the lower parts and base of the monument. It seems that, utilize of the narrow ribs in the Safavid domes was the invention of the Iranian elite architects to give cohesion to the double-shell domes, especially bulbous ones.
From the earliest bulbous domes, we can see stiffeners between two shells. These elements have different shapes. Establishing stiffeners, especially in the Avgon part, greatly reduce the destruction of the dome during earthquakes and shows the architects’ awareness of stiffener’s structural role and function.
The wooden struts are arranged somewhat circularly to help connect the stiffeners to increase flexibility against earthquake shocks.

Conclusion 
Changing process of bulbous domes in Iran includes removing the flutes from the external shell, adjusting the height of the drum and creating an avgon with more bulge at the junction of the external shell and drum. Domes with flutes in the Central Asia were a main characteristic of monuments. It seems that use of flutes, in addition to structural reasons, also had an aesthetic aspect; because, vertical and parallel concave and convex lines on the external shell make the domes look higher and add to the glory of the whole monument. Moreover, flutes help in transferring the thrust forces entered into the building and have a function like an avgon at the place of joining the dome’s drum. It seems that removing the flutes from domes in Iranian architecture of Timurid period should be considered as a result of the lack of a single political power in different regions of the country. Among other fundamental changes, we can notice domes with more bulge. During the Safavid period, architects learned and experienced the basic stages of bulbous domes and gained sufficient skill with regard to the morphological elements of dome and its strength. In this way, for aesthetic purposes, structural solutions such as creating narrow ribs on the internal shell of the dome and deepening the stiffeners in the avgon part have been used to maintain the integrity of the external shell. One of the reasons for the construction of narrow ribs is to transfer the compressive force of the stiffeners to the lower parts and bases of the dome and to strengthen their stability. In some cases, ribs were not used to connect stiffeners to the internal shell due to small diameter of the dome span. The changes made in the stiffeners from the Timurid period to the end of the Safavid period should be considered more related to their number, shape and proportions, which can be attributed not only to the creativity of local architects, but also to the architects’ complete awareness of the role and function of the stiffeners. These structural elements prevent the destruction of domes due to thrust forces (wind and earthquake). Wooden struts also make it possible to create a better connection between the stiffeners and external shell, as well as the connection between the components of the dome.