INVESTIGATING PANTHEISM IN IRAN’S ISLAMIC ART (CASE STUDY: ORNAMENTATION OF ASNAQ MOSQUE)

INVESTIGATING PANTHEISM IN IRAN’S ISLAMIC ART (CASE STUDY: ORNAMENTATION OF ASNAQ MOSQUE)

One of the main topics of discussion of philosophy is the link between the perceptible worldand heavenly world2 and mosques are a place when religious beliefs in the form of symbolsthat display the link between art and religion. Since the beginning of creation, temples havebeen crucially significant and that is why they have led to emergence of the most advancedtechniques in architecture. In fact, mosques have created the sacred art and this type of artis based on allegories and exemplifications and is built upon pantheism. This ultimately hasled to creation of the philosophy of unity in diversity and diversity in unity in all Islamicaspects which is manifested in many works of art. The present study aims to recognize thearchitectural ornaments of Asnaq mosque and their association with the dominantphilosophical thinking. The question that rises here is that: in which elements of Asnaqmosque have the sacred notions and spiritual identities been manifested? In this article, byreferring to written historical sources and by using the field study method and a descriptive– analytical approach, it has been attempted to initially review the architectural ornamentsof Asnaq mosque and then to philosophically decode these ornaments and symbols. Thisarticle also aims to establish a connection between philosophy and art in Asnaq mosque.Ultimately, the result obtained from this research will show that manifestation of god innature is the origin of Islamic art and architectural ornaments of Asnaq mosque areindicative of the oneness of god.

___

  • Ardalan, Nader and Laleh Bakhtiar (2001). A sense of unity. Tehran: Elm-e Memar.
  • Bernard, Ockan (2002). “Asnaq and Sarvar mosques”. Transalted by Mohammadreza Nemati. Asar Journal, 35: 205-223.
  • Burckhardt, Titus (1990). Principles of divine art. Tehran: Soroosh.
  • Anonymous (1423 A.H.). “Hodood Al-Alam Men Al-Mashreq Ela Al-Maqreb”. Research by: Yusef Al-Hadi, Qahereh, Dar Al-Thafafiyeh Press.
  • Poorjafar, Mohammadreza; Moosavi Lor, Ashraf (2002). „Reviewing features of spiral circular movement; Arabesque symbol of holiness, unity and beauty“. Quarterly journal of Humanities of Al-Zahra University, 43: 184-207.
  • Tashakori, Fatemeh (2011). “Symbolism in Islamic art, information, wisdom and knowledge”. 66: 1-14.
  • Javadi Amoli, Abdollah (1999). Mysticism and epic. Qom: Asra Press.
  • Hosseini, Hashem; Farashi Abarghooyi, Hossein (2013). “Analysis of Shiite symbolic aspects in ornamentations of the central mosque of Yazd”. Quarterly journal of Negareh, 29: 32-43.
  • Hamzenejad, Mehdi; Noghrekar, Abdolhamid; Khorasani Moghaddam, Saba (2013). “Conceptual typology of entrance of mosques in Iran using sacred concept”. Islamic architecture researches, 1: 77-102.
  • Khazaeli, Mohammad (2002). “Symbolism in Islamic arts; symbolic interpretation of shapes in Iranian art”. Proceedings of the first conference on Islamic art, Institute of studies on Islamic art, Tehran.
  • Dehkhoda, Ali Akbar (2005). Dictionary. Vol. 6, Press of Tehran University.
  • Rahnemood, Zahra (2000). Art of Islamic revolution“, religious art. Vol. 6, Pp 63-78.
  • Shirazi, Asghar; Ghasemi, Safoora (2012). “Etymology of customs of Ilkhanate in Aboosaeedi’s Shahnameh with an emphasis on pictures of mourning”. Quarterly journal of Negareh, 22: 25-38.
  • Tabatabayi, Seyed Mohammad Hossein (1981).“Principles of philosophy and a method of realism“, with a preface by Morteza Motahari, 12th article on unity and diversity, Vol. 1, Tehran: Sadra.
  • Genon, Rene; Lingz, Martin; Burckhardt, Titus (2007). Hermes and Language of Fowls. Translated by Amin Aslani, Tehran: Jeyhoon.
  • Moeen, Mohammad (1984). Moeen Dictionary. Vol. 1, Ed. 6, Tehran: Amir Kabir.
  • Mahdavinejad, Mohammad Javad (2004). “Jurisprudence of Islamic architecture, a search into the depth of divine construction of Iran’s Islamic architecture”. Fine arts, 19: 57-66.
  • Nasr, Seyed Hossein (2001). “Islamic divinity and art”. Quarterly Journal of Art, 28: 45-52.
  • Noroozitalab, Alireza (2009). “Beauty and essence in Islamic art”. Mah-e Honar book, 129: 4-31.