JOURNAL OF RESEARCHES IN ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE
Year:2020 | Volume:7 | Issue:4 (25)|Papers Count:7

The major change processes that have taken place in recent centuries, affect the facade and its elements. These changes have caused variations in the visual appearance of buildings. However, throughout the history of the late Qajar dynasty and the early years of the Pahlavi reign, different architectural styles have been developed and they were evolving as societies changed over the centuries. In the history of Iranian architecture, there has never been a break with the history of architecture. But in the last century, the alien elements entered into the Iranian-Islamic architecture and there has been a change in the principles of architecture. In the late Qajar period, the process has been discontinued and the structure of the faç ades as well as other architectural features were being modified. At the beginning of the Qajar era, the presence of Western symbols was also important in the facades. External factors contribute towards the indigenous architecture of a region to a great extent. Extracting patterns from different Islamic periods can be used in modern architecture. After the glorious era of Safavid architecture, the Qajar period is the interface between the past and the future architecture. The nature of the exodus of traditional Iranian architecture during this period were undoubtedly influenced by the Constitutional Movement. However, the dynamics of the modernization in the Pahlavi era brought about changes in Iranian society. This study seeks to compare the views of different eras in accordance with the principles of Islamic architecture. The methodological approach of the research is mixed (quantitative and qualitative). The study is based on an interpretative-historical research strategy using library information resources, field observations, and questionnaire survey data. In this regard, the study of architectural styles and practices of each period, the quantitative comparison of the fundamental characteristics and indicators of Islamic architecture in urban faç ades, and functional units in different categories are discussed. Depending on the theoretical framework of the current research, seven indicators of Islamic architecture were obtained. These indicators include geometry, proportion, symmetry, harmony, dynamics, order and rhythm, and unity in plurality. In the next step, three different buildings were chosen and made subject to a systematic inquiry. 42 students and 9 faculty members of architecture and planning were selected to study the characteristics of each building. After the pilot work was completed, the questionnaire was distributed to the respondents. Finally, the important attributes were determined in each building. Based on the findings, it is suggested that the change of architecture can be interpreted according to the intellectual architecture of its era. Therfore, only a physical change could not ultimately lead to a structural change in style.

Arched structures, especially vaults, as one of the most widely used structural elements in traditional architecture, are of particular importance in the perspective of historical settlements. However, most of the research in this field has been devoted to historical and technical issues and so the visual functions of this element has been stayed hidden behind the role of its structure. This paper tries to understand and explain the role of vault structures in organizing the landscape of historical urban Squares, to provide solutions appropriate to contemporary needs for designing and organizing squares. The process of this research began with library studies and continued with the sampling through field studies. In this regard, first, the eight squares chosen as case studies were divided into three types based on the type of function of vault structures in their facade: «portico», «room and bulkhead» and «bulkhead». Then, the role of these elements in covering the facades in both vertical and horizontal directions in both micro and macro scales was analyzed. The examined issues at the micro-scale include: how the rhythm was created, the connection of the walls to the surrounding buildings and the entrance of the square, and the connection of the walls to each other in the body of the square. The results of the research indicate the use of three methods based on «complete vault», «buildings and entrances» and «combination of complete vault with half-vault « in order to create rhythm in the facades. In addition to creating rhythm, « combination of complete vault with half-vault» has also been used to connect the facades of the square to the surrounding buildings. Analyzes also reveal four methods used to link the facades of squares with each other, including « complete vault «, « half-vault», «diagonal with a 45 degree angle» and «disconnected». Then, how to place two stories of the square on top of each other in a vertical direction was studied. Here, by examining the general structure of the upper floor, the roots of the creation of the outer corridor on the first floor of the squares are discussed as an arena for access and observing the center of the square. Then as a result of studying the role of vault elements on the scale of whole square, we found a triple pattern for the composition of these elements in the facade: «creation of confinement», «building a foundation for visual emphasis» and «visual emphasis». Finally, due to the fact that decorations are one of the important features of Iranian-Islamic architecture, various methods of decoration, including «brickwork», «karbandi», «tiling», «mural» and «column» and their position on the surface of vault structures are analyzed and introduced to explain the robust background for contemporary improvement and design.

Aesthetic-Sublime conflict has been as one of the most pressing issues in the thinking that included in the manifestations of human life and the construction of temples in history. In the modern era, both the formalist and the functionalist currents of modern architecture emerged in response to the German philosopher› s theory of Emmanuel Kant. Later, deconstructionist architects such as Eisenman who that stated their anomalous roots in their heuristic formula for combining the two aspect of theory. These currents of thought penetrated the Islamic world, especially the construction of mosques. Unique Islamic conceptual patterns were less discussed in the amalgamation of aesthetics and the quest for its revival in the modern age. a universality of Jamal-Jalal is recommended in the Islamic viewpoint that Islam has not claimed in previous religions and this equilibrium has taken place with the rise of Islam. This equilibrium can be traversed to either side of the spectrum in each sample as needed. In this research, the philosophical principles and architectural criteria derived from both sides and a descriptive-analytical approach was discussed to the conceptual typology of historical mosques. Finally, The models were expressed to the architecture of the historical and Islamic periods in six sections. 1-The Origin of Style Effects from Organizing (High Pure) to Artistic (Pure Beautiful) and Comprehensive viewpoint at Architectural Styles. 2-On the Jamali-Jalali side of the environmentally sensitive historical epochs, approach of cultural periods in Europe with verticalism and attention to Sublime (Egypt) to Egypt with horizontalism and the periodic classification is based on the nature (Environment) that is compared in the three categories of medieval naturalism to Renaissance naturalism (Soft modernity). 3-Sublime-Aesthetic faculties in Formalist architecture schools fall into three categories: Anatomical, space-oriented and socialist in Islamic architects of Iran. 4-Conceptual model was presented for each aspect with sensitivity to the Sublime-Aesthetic (jalal-jamal) of sensing factors. 5-Functionalism indices were investigated by three-dimensional (aesthetic, sublime and socialist) principles of Iranian architectural architecture with the principles of organizing movement in space. 6-Encoding with symbolization factors was conceptually presented as Sublime-Aesthetic attention, and the share of attention to the purely beautiful symbol in the glamorous and sublime symbols refers to the glorious dimension. The space and body were remarkable that were effective in expressing this dual opposition in the architecture of contemporary mosques. Nowadays, contemporary architects use Aesthetic and Aesthetic appearance to represent the clergy of space in Contemporary mosques. Ultimately, authenticity is in need of socialist. It is a sublime meaning that, along with simplicity, is reminiscent of the spiritual space of the model mosque (the Prophet). Finally, two examples of mosques were laid out in a comprehensive Western and traditional pattern. The indices were based in each contemporary work on Jamal-Jalal of Islam or Western Aesthetic-Sublime. The results of the study show the evolution of the architecture in the four Iranian mosques, that Has a tendency for pure sublimity or aestheticism to the sublime aesthetic states (holistic state) and when comparison to two types of mosque (contemporary Western-style mosques) have sometimes moved toward materialistic and authentic Aesthetic and Sublime. The perceptions are superficial in the past patterns but sometime this patterns are along to values. motivations of Aestheticism have given originality to outer space and Sublimation to originality and both dimensions of history have been distorted in the non-sacred paradigm and merely reduced to charm and functionality. Whereas the holistic viewpoint has a coherent and original view of spirit and spiritual growth.

Due to the dryness of the weather in most parts of Iran and the lack of sufficient rainfall in more than six months of the year in most places, resulting in the seasonality of rivers and the lack of access to water, various arrangements for fresh water supply in the dry seasons has been established. The construction of the AB ANBAR (water reservoir and cistern) is one of innovative ways to supply drinking water. In this regard, AB ANBAR, as its name implies, is to store water in watery seasons and use it during the rest of the year. The main structure of the AB ANBAR consists of an underground storage tank and dome to cover it on the ground. In some areas in Iran a wind catcher has been added to this structure to keep water cool in summer. The construction material used for Ab Anbars were special mortar called Sarooj which was made of sand, clay, lime, goat hair, egg whites and ash in specific proportions, depending on location and climate of the city. Some Ab Anbars had storage space tanks that were rectangular and some of them had cylindrical shape. In order to study the thermal energy potential in the Ab Anbars of Yazd city and the amount of radiation and shading received on the surface of each dome, using the Energy Plus simulation software, thermal analysis was carried out to determine the effect of the dome form on the amount of received sunlight and shadow On the surface of the Ab Anbar dome. The calculations were carried out by selecting several samples of Yazd valued Ab Anbars, based on the form diversity and the type of dome arch. In order to simulate the domes, they were first modeled in Revit software 2017, and then models were transferred to Rhino 5 software, using the honeybee & lady bug, and with the Energy plus Engine analysis of the received solar radiation and shading were done. The amount of received sunlight on the surfaces of the Ab Anbars dome in Yazd is different, and the shape of the dome has a strong relationship with the amount of received radiation. The amount of solar radiation received in the HAJ NASIR dome with an area of 75 square meters is 102906 kW / m2. This amount of solar radiation on the surface of SAHRAIE DASTI dome with an area of 137 square meters is 198697 kW / m2 and Get more radiation than HAJ NASIR dome. Another dome sample is BARSOIEH in TAFT with an area of 317 square meters is the largest dome among the studied cases. The dome receives 523597 kW / m 2 radiation. The Yazd HAJ GHAZI dome is 133 square meters and receive 215, 712 kW / m2. The last one is Dome of SHAH VALLI in Taft, with a total area of 194 square meters which absorbs 286, 159 kW / m2 radiation. The results of these analyzes shows that the highest amount of solar radiation received from the dome of the studied water reservoirs is BARSOIEH in TAFT dome with the amount of 76046 KW / m2, and the lowest amount of radiation received by Sun is in HAJ NASIR reservoir dome with the amount 102906 kW / m. According to these results, HAJ NASIR dome is the most suitable dome in the hot and dry climate of Yazd and, in heat absorption in shadow area of domes, the largest shading is in dome of BARSOIEH in TAFT. But the point that should be considered in the analyzes is the area of the dome of the Ab Anbars in the Yazd climate, which is, of course, as far as the area of the domes is high, the amount of absorption and shadow of the sun will be greater. For this reason, in the analyzes, uniformity of the dimensions of the Ab Anbars domes were used, so that the optimum dome can be obtained in terms of receiving solar radiation and absorbing heat in the shadowed area. To equalize the domes, the absorption of the sun's radiation of each dome is divided by the amount of shadowing of the same dome, the number obtained indicates the relationship between the amount of radiation and shadow on the dome. That is, greater number shows greater amount of radiation absorbed in that dome comparing shadow casted by the dome. The results show 6 for SAHRAIE DASTI dome, 7 for BARSOIEH in TAFT, 8 for HAJ GHAZI, 11 for HAJ NASIR, and finally the highest number were 12 for SHAH VALLI in Taft. This results shows that the lowest radiation intake is in SAHRAIE DASTI dome and the highest radiation is in SHAH VALLI in Taft, it can be concluded that the most optimal AB ANBAR dome for the Yazd city climate is the dome of SAHRAIE DASTI.

Islamic Architecture is a main course in undergraduate Architectural program of Iran which is essentially a historical as well as theoretical one that makes its applicability so rare in design studios while Islamization has been a main goal of recent architectural policies of Iran. It has been a main concern of scholars in the field of architectural education and in this article some proposed approaches to make theoretical and historical data about architecture applicable for design studio are reviewed. Two main routes are taken for such an application: 1. Architectural institutional approaches are those plans that try to explore structuralistic components of historical building. For example defining their formal order, spatial arrangement and or analyzing its language of motifs in such a way that could not easily accused to copying from old building; these approaches do not widely enter into cultural debates or religion-based issues unless rare subjects as anti-illustrational view in Islam or bold symbols such as Ka’ beh. 2. Ex-Architectural institutional approaches are those that concentrate on the human life of the historical buildings. Behavioral researches and vernacular researches are common studies of this kind. These approaches are somehow based on the hypothesis of continuity of at least a few human characteristics during the history. These approaches suffer from theoretical support as well as social acceptability even between scholars of architecture or humanities. After a review of role of historical precedents in design studies, various approaches taken towards applicability of the course of Islamic architecture (along with some other historical courses in architectural education program of Iranian schools) for design activities in two recent decades are studied. They are formulized within three main branches: 1. Conceptual continuity: scholars of this vision try to find or construct a context for continuing traditional patterns in current time. For such an application their strategy is to emphasize on symbols instead of architectural pure forms so that they could bond it to social long-life norms. Another strategy of them is to identify timeless combinations of form and idea or architectural concept. Courtyard is one of these concepts which is seen as crystallization of spiritual presence at the heat of the building. Although this approach has not yet been successfully used for the course of Islamic architecture it is routinely used for the other course (theoretical basics of architecture). A main barrier for its applicability for design studio is the lack of aspects that could be continued. 2. principal-based approach refers to those ways that believe in existence of some “ abstract” humane basics that are fixed throughout time and space. Although its continuity varies through scholar views. Some as Pirnia define five or seven parameters that are specified to Iran not all Islamic regions. But some others proposed global principals for Islamic architecture. Nader Ardalan or Khalil Pirani are two of such scholars. While these principals have not yet empirically approved at least from users point of view it is a main conflict for their educational apply in design studio. From instructor point of view, they have secondary problem of claims of students. Because an abstract principal could be widely interpreted in such a way that any architectural form would be claimed to be based on such principals. 3. Empiricism refers to comparing physical and practical aspects of buildings detached from their historical context. Climatic characters as well as spatial orders are usual themes of this approach. But it is questionable that if mapping or sketching from buildings are useful ways for understanding life of a building to apply its understandings into new designs. Some schools of architecture encourage their students to use formal patterns of historical buildings for free form inspiration. In this way cultural heritage is considered as a consuming source a low-rated thing. Moral problems of this approach for cultural basics of the society should be taken into account. The main problem with these approaches as anti-historicism or anti-Islamisism. Here the problem of Islam is taken into account as the main subject of the debate. So a new proposal is offered that can be called as “ Islamic Critical View” that criticizes works of architecture from the view of its compatibility with Islamic norms. Main feature of this proposed approach is that it takes stability of moral and values of Islamic Tradition of Holy Prophet and Imam’ s as its criteria for evaluating historical changes in architectural form. These changes then are put in critical debate in class sessions without any pre-assumption to consider whether they can be supposed as Islamic solutions or not. So any historical building is an object that has valuable aspects but not made sacred for its history. Since the measure of criticism is put within Islam itself it is less morally harmful for valued heritage. Here high cultural bases are saved and minor cultural themes are weighed against it.

In recent years in the Muslim countries, due to clear separation of Islamic teachings-which is the most important cultural factor-and contemporary architecture and urbanism, a controversy has developed on “ what are the true factors and features of Islamic architecture? ” . House as an important element for joining the architecture and lifestyle, plays a key role in the separation mentioned above. In academic literature and public opinion, there has been always a believe that “ traditional architecture” is exactly what we assume as “ Islamic architecture” . This statement is based on personal observation and must be proved or disproved with an academic scrutiny. The goal of This research is to find out how much this statement is correct, at least in the scope of its case study which is the traditional housing of Qom city (Qajar and Pahlavi period) in Iran. To extract Islamic housing indicators, the general agreement of Muslim architects who have worked and spent time and efforts in the field of Islamic housing, have been used. Twelve architects have been recognized. These architects are M. K. Pirnia, M. Hamzehnejad, M. M. Raeisi, M. Nari Qomi, Besim Selim Hakim, A. M. Ranjbar Kermani, A. Noghrehkar, Spahic Omer, K. Navaei & K. Hajighasemi, Hisham Mortadha, M. Naghizadeh, M. R. Bemanian. Indicator which claim a clear feature of an Islamic house, came out of the researches of these architects. Out of 321 total indicators, some were removed due to repetition. 180 unique Indicators were listed based on their total repetition. 11 Indicators were claimed by more than the half of architects which only seven of them were able to be evaluated through pictures and plans of the selected 14 historical houses. Houses were scored according to their adaption to indicators. Based on this research, the selected houses got 82 scores out of 98 total scores (83. 6%). The following houses: Ayatollah Borujerdi, Ayatollah Haeri, Rahbari, Hallajzadeh & Salamati had the most adaption with Islamic housing indicators and Mohammad Zand house was the least of them. This research shows that traditional houses of Qom city are highly adapted with Islamic principles of housing, so the belive mentioned at the first part of paper, has proved.

In this study emptiness is considered as a transcendental and effective concept that appears in the form and content of things. What is seen as internally present in an entity is existent in the first instance because of the external presence of its opposite. The entity and its opposite are intertwined through the principle of inverse correspondence, a higher level of accord that emerges from the disposition of asymmetrical qualities. this symmetrical, yet reversed, reciprocity is the logic of ‘ ‘ is and yet is not’ ’ and that of ‘ ‘ simultaneity, and biconditionality, of opposites without their higher synthesis. Emptiness is often understood as nonexistence, a void that is symptomatic of a predominant fixation on objects. In contrast emptiness is neither nothing nor the suffocating void of limitless expansion in which things are at best desolately scattered. Rather, it is the ultimate foundation of reality that transcends ideas of ‘ ‘ being’ ’ and ‘ ‘ non-being. ’ ’ Subsequently, what is operating in emptiness is a double negation: the negation of being, which leads to nonbeing, and the negation of nonbeing. Existential Identity depends on the dialectical relationship of that thing with its opposites. The identity of a being is determined not by what is believed to be existent within itself but by its dialectical relationship with the opposite, like the moment in which one finds one’ s self to be the being of warmth in reference to coldness enveloping and penetrating the body. Ignoring Emptiness and empty space caused intensifying the focus of designers and architects on the full space and this has increased the contemporary architecture crisis. this study aims to take advantage of the values of the vernacular architecture of Iran and its continuity. It relies on the theory of empty space and the opposite pairs, as the first pillar of creating empty space. Answers to this question: what is the role of empty space in the vernacular Yazd houses in semantic dimension? This study aimed to clarify the role of this concept in the vernacular architecture of Iran by understanding the meaning of emptiness. and evaluating selected houses as a case study. This research has been done in qualitative research and data is collected by observation and study of written documents. The emergence of empty concept coincides with two elements or opposite qualities in such a way that the two opposites are interconnected without diminishing one another. Based on theoretical findings, the expression of the empty concept is conditional on the existence of three pillars: The first: the contradiction, the second: interaction, the third: balance and unity. Based on the theoretical findings, expression of emptiness concept has three main pillars. Firstly: the contradiction (Coexistence of two opposing elements), secondly: the interaction of two opposites, thirdly: balance and unity. Since the emptiness operates as the foundational principle in traditional genres of architecture in Asia suchas Iran, the process of integrating the three pillars extracted from theoretical foundations were evaluated and analyzed in five vernacular houses of Yazd. In the phenomenological study of five houses in Yazd as a case study houses were investigated in three aspects: shape-body, functional, semantic. This article focuses on semantic aspect. The findings depict that the emptiness as a transcendental concept is the result of the process of opposite elements and their interactions and the development of the unity of opposites. According this study, the philosophy of emptiness has manifested in the form of the dialectic of opposites. this study has brought one’ s attention to the arrangement of contrasting qualities in the yazd houses such as the crossing and peresence inside and outside. The architect of an Iranian traditional house positions things of spiritual character in such a way that they create a coordinated balance between forces. In this fashion, the house ‘ ‘ brings into special focus the underlying relatedness of things, the mutuality which exists in spite of differences between outside and inside, great and small, and observer and observed. Vernacular architects had understood the necessity of companionship of opposing pairs and their dialectical as an essential element of empty concept. They have considered interactive opposite qualities such as darkness and light, outside and inside, male and female, silence and talk, simplicity and complexity, uniformityand variety. The results of the research show that empty space plays a major role in the vernacular architecture of Iran. The empty spaces are more focused and authentic and solid spaces take their identity and credit from empty and void spaces.