Arts are often influenced by significant political, social, economic, and cultural events within societies. One of the best examples confirming this notion is the Afghan war Rugs. The designs of these Rugs predominantly feature images of elements and motifs related to war. Among a subset of these Rugs, there is a focus on depicting individuals influential in the course of the war. Ahmad Shah Massoud, as one of the key figures in the Afghan war, has been a recurring subject in Afghan pictorial Rugs. However, in the Rug analyzed in this study, Ahmad Shah Massoud is depicted alongside numerous elements that, at first glance, appear unrelated. This study aims to uncover the semantic connections between the various motifs present in the composition. This study seeks to answer the main question: what message is intended to be conveyed through the depiction of Ahmad Shah Massoud and the other elements present in this Rug? The study examined one Afghan war Rug featuring Ahmad Shah Massoud using Erwin Panofsky’s iconology approach, employing an iconographic method in two stages of description and analysis. The study employed a descriptive-analytical methodology and used a library study for data collection.  Through an iconographic approach and a semantic and symbolic analysis of the icons within the Rug’s imagery, the findings reveal that the Rug implicitly conveys a message through the diverse elements included in its composition. The Rug evokes the tale of “Layla and Majnun,” with Ahmad Shah Massoud portrayed as Majnun—a world-renouncing lover of his country. The other elements in the Rug symbolize the aspirations and dreams of the Afghan people, who long for a free nation.

Iranian Rug is one of the most precious and ancient arts in Iranian culture and art history. Safavid era was the utmost of outstanding blossoming of Rug weaving art in Iran. Safavid-era artists created numerous novelties in designation and coloring of Rugs. Designs of Rugs weaved during the Safavid time specifically distinguished them from other Rugs. Such quality was the result of a couple of factors such as weaving the Rugs under support of the Safavid court, the influence of the court designers on all steps of creating artistic works including Rug weaving, availability of any kind of raw materials and colors and dyes both from local and from foreign markets, and prevalence and acceptance of the Rug business by the businessmen, especially in overseas markets. During the Safavid time, pictorial Rug designs, which are mingled with lofty literary concepts, were especially attended to by Rug weavers and designers. A good example of those Rugs was Sangeš, ko Rug which was weaved during the Safavid time and includes large and small margins and background as well as some pictures of some Iranian literary stories with romantic, epic and mythical themes. Presence of these motifs in the carpets has roots in rituals and beliefs of ancient Iran. The beautiful design and the role of Sangeš, ko carpet became the inspiration of Iranian and non-Iranian Rug designers and weavers, especially in 19th century. One of Iranian Rugs in which Sangeš, ko designs are evident was created in the Qajar time. This Rug looks completely like Sangeš, ko with some minute differences, however,there are several common literary themes and concepts in the two Rugs. So, it is worth considering how those differences were created in Qajar Rug. The presence of literary and mythical themes such as Meetings (Leili and Majnoun & Shirin`s bath) and Martial arts (hunting scenes), as well as mythological themes, including Gereft-o-Gir (Entanglement), Simorgh (Phoenix), the Dragon and etc. in both Safavid and Qajar Rug designs is the reason for the study and analysis of this research. The purpose of this research is to analyze the concepts of motifs and to identify the influence of Safavid Sangeš, ko Rug on its Qajar corresponding one and to recognize similarities and differences of these two Rugs in terms of overall structure, that is composition, design and color. The question is: 1-How the effects of the Safavid Rug, i. e. Sangeš, ko, were manifested in the Qajar Rug thematically and conceptually? 2-what are the meanings and concepts of the common elements used in the design of these two Rugs? And 3-what are the differences between the two Rugs in terms of theme and concepts? This is a descriptive-analytical research which takes a comparative approach. All data were collected using library research method and referring to photos taken in museums by the author. The results of the study revealed that due to numerous similarities between the two Rugs, the themes of the Safavid Rug were the sources of designs and themes of the Qajar Rug. All themes of Sangeš, ko Rug are present in Qajar Rug. The moving form of human and animal, even the instruments, follow the same root and pattern in both Rugs. However, there are some distinguishing points, both in margins and background. Qajar Rug’, s designation is not merely limited to Sangeš, ko and has undergone some modifications in some images, background and margins. For example, the meeting scene of Leili and Majnoun, and designation of the All-seeds tree are a bit different. Qajar artist weaver has added some new themes to the background and modified the margins in this scene. This reveals that the Qajar Rug is not a mere copy of its Safavid corresponding Rug and, borrowing some concepts from the original texts, the artist has rebuilt some scenes based on his own understanding. In composition of the Qajar Rug, the position and location of the designs are of no specific order, and each literary scene has occupied a part of the background. Another point about the Qajar Rug is that animal and human bodies in that are more harmonious. On the other hand, the Safavid Rug includes simple ornaments and represents no chiaroscuro, while the Qajar Rug has different colorings and ornaments. The Qajar artist has applied the prevalent art in Qajar time, which mostly included naturalistic designs with specific coloring and contrast, and has bestowed special attention on details such as wrinkles on the cloths and the third dimension of the objects and bodies. Mythical themes used in Sangeš, ko Rug are related to mystic concepts, which might have been influenced by Gnostic and Sufi thoughts and schools that were prevalent during Safavid time and especially inside the Safavid court, the effect of which is evident in design of the Qajar Rug as well.

Basator flying Rug tradition illustrates the strange event of Ali’s space journey on the flying Rug, which took place in the presence of some companions of the Prophet, including Abu Bakr and Umar. This journey from Madinah to the Cave of the Sleepers has taken place at the time of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his household, to prove the supremacy of Ali and his authority over others. In all narrations except that of Thaalibi it is reported that the people of the Cave answered the greeting of Ali but refrained from answering the greeting of others. In this article besides offering the transmission chain of theBasat tradition, it is shown that the main transmitters of the tradition have been Jabir and Anas. Then a full report of the sixteen ways the tradition has been transmitted is given. At the end in a library research and on the basis of Shii and Sunni sources all the ways in which the tradition has been transmitted, in respect of documents and content, have been evaluated. It is concluded that the possibility of such occurrence is totally accepted but in regard of the reliability of the documents, which makes the theoretical ground of this research, the occurrence of the event itself meets with some doubt. Of course, on the basis of the reliability of the sources the truth of the tradition and on the ground of the tradition being well-known and accepted by earlier scholars its occurrence may be accepted, though the tradition concerning the number of the people and the events that happened throughout the journey is not clear.

Background: Rug weaving is an important source of income in rural areas of Kerman and hand woven Rugs are considered as the most important non-petroleum export of Iran. In this study, we describe the working environment as well as the occupational risk factors of these Rug weavers.Materials and Methods: This study was performed in the Golzar region including Shirinak, Chartagh and Babe Shamil villages. The workplaces were identified and the hazards of each workshop were determined using the study checklist. The workers were also screened for medical conditions.Results: The average age of the workers was 29 years. The work place evaluation showed that the floor, wall, ceiling, light, temperature and general condition of most of the workplaces was inappropriate and non-standard, and needed major changes. The average working hours were 9.1 hours a day. Medical problems such as visual disturbances, musculoskeletal problems, psychological disorders, gynecological disorders, goiter and tightness of breath were discovered in the workers.Conclusion: Many Rug weavers still work in improper conditions, and need occupational health knowledge and financial support to improve the physical characteristics of their workplaces and prevent debilitating disorders.

A new trend of weaving pictures in Qajar era is considered to be a revolution in the art of carpet-weaving whether from viewpoint of form or concept. These pictorial Rugs were intended to be spread on the floor no more, but they were woven for visual satisfaction, exactly as pictures. These pictures are like an encyclopedia of the cultural life of that era, which covers beliefs, culture and life of the people and can be employed for discovering unknown aspects of their culture and outlook. This paper has amid to understand and find the meaning of one of these Rugs, namely "Mary and Jesus Christ" by analyzing it using Erwin Panofsky's iconographic method for finding different meaning layers. The paper concludes that the above-mentioned Rug has the function of an icon and for fulfilling its "monumental" and "didactic" objectives makes use of Islam doctrine, Qoran's verses and Iranian mystical art and literature. At the end, in search of deep and concealed meanings of this icon hidden beneath its different meaning layers and for finding its "artistic desire" and cultural reasons for its creation, this article shows the votive objective of this Rug as a means of obtaining offspring and conforms the public's belief in miraculous power of the icon.

Various Persian traditional arts can be understood as different aspects of a unique concept. All of them represent substantial meanings which root in both Islamic and Iranian beliefs. The symbolic language of these arts and the ability of being expressed in various arts let artists to choose proper methods for their work. Rug and architecture are the most important Persian arts and two aspects of Persian symbolic design methods. This paper tries to focus on Mihrabi Rugs as a direct reflection of one of architectural components of mosque architecture in Rug design as a suitable carpet for praying time. The paper intends to show how ancient and Islamic architectural symbols affect symbolic expression of these Rugs and how these different arts show a homogeneous idea in terms of their own capacities. This study uses a descriptive method and a comparative semiotic approach from historical and iconographical viewpoint and traces the mosque architecture elements and symbolic plant designs of Mihrabi Rugs. Paradigmatic process shows some evidences regarding designers’ efforts to represent triple structure of ancient Mithraism altars in the form of mosque space structures and heaven on the limited space of Rugs by replacing a triple division of floral patterns instead of architectural structure of mosques in a symbolic way, so the middle tree represents the ancient tree of life and recalls the main dome and two cypresses with their roots in ground and their heads up to the sky are the symbols of minarets. This fulfills artist’s objective to demonstrate such Rugs as mosques and linkage between heaven and earth.

The purpose of this article is to explain how Sarrami knew the world based on the theory of conceptual metaphor. this paper, we show that, according to cognitive linguistics, metaphor is not merely linguistic, but it is a tool for cognition. The theoretical framework of this paper is indebted to theory of Johnson's image schemas. In this article, after explaining the metaphor and introducing the theory of image schemas, we report the image schemas of Sarrami poetry. This article concludes that the image schemas of this poem show the poet's cognitive system and strengthen the foundation of his experiences to achieve a specific language. By discovering conceptual metaphors in this work, it can be understood that the images of this poem originate from the unity of the poet's attitude and stable actions with the cultural and physical environment, etc., and ultimately lead to the formation of a specific language. This article is an analytical-descriptive method based on library studies

The importance of animal figure is dramatic in Iranian art since ancient time. Animal figures were sometimes used as symbols of agriculture and nutrition and also as symbols of gods, kingdoms and elements of universe. Among animal figures, wild goat figure has a great importance. In ancient times this figure was symbol of seeking rain and blessing rather than just being a decorative figure.After Sassanid era and in Islamic age wild goat figure lost its importance and was mainly preserved in rural and nomadic hand-woven due to fundamental changes in beliefs as well as artistic and cultural attitudes.In this essay we tend to seek the reasons behind perseverance and persistence of wild goat figure in Iranian art and its meaning by investigating the available figures from prehistory until today, and comparing them to each other through an analytic way.It seems that wild goat figure’s formation on stones was due to ancient peoples beliefs and costumes which considered this figure as a symbol of rain, fertility and abundance. This figure was passed from each generation to next in ancient art and was protected from changes and damages of the time through nomadic hand-woven.The correlation between this figure and life, livelihood, dreams of the weaver and the traditional way of its transmission within centuries is the cause of its persistence among today’s nomadic weavings.Today’s weaver is a preserver of this figure without knowing its exact meaning and that’s how the Rug contains an ancient figure and desire.

During the Qajar era, after establishing a relative calm during the reign of Fath Ali Shah and Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar, the headstock was made for the production of exquisite Persian Rugs. In this era, European travelers attracted the attention of businessmen and people of Europe and the United States to Iran's handmade Rug. In the mid-19th C. E. / 13th A. H. centuries, an evolution in the production of Persian Rugs for the supply of the world market occurred and foreign companies were interested in investing in Iran's Rug production and trade. Following these developments, some of the countries that had the advantage of handmade carpet industry were thinking of developing this industry and entering into the field of competition in international trade. This competition grew in the global market since the First International War, and large carpet manufacturers have always been competing to takeover global markets, especially the European and American markets. The countries of China, India and Turkey were among the most important rivals of Iran, which in the last years of the Qajar era were able to increase their share of the international carpet market. By studying news, content and media ads over the past times, we notice that during the Qajar era, especially during Ahmad Shah and Mohammad Ali Shah, the issuance of Iranian carpet was relatively high compared to the rival countries. A review of the press of this time has confirmed that part of the press has been introducing and helping to overcome the problems facing Iran's Rug. The sovereign look and the issues that journalists of that period endorsed is notable. That's why the problem in this research is that, how has been the content of ads, news and the process of presenting these ads and reports and that how were the issues raised and discussed, and perhaps the strategies ahead in that era, so by using that information can codify a strategic plan in the field of media as well as in the field of executive work of the country's Rug. Research Objectives: 1. Qajar era policies on Iranian Rug. 2. Review of cultural and artistic policies of the Qajar era. Research Questions: 1. What orders did the rulers give during the Qajar era regarding the export of handmade carpets? 2. What were the executive policies on the subject of Rug art during this period?

During the Qajar era, after establishing a relative calm during the reign of Fath Ali Shah and Nasir al-Din Shah Qajar, the headstock was made for the production of exquisite Persian Rugs. In this era, European travelers attracted the attention of businessmen and people of Europe and the United States to Iran's handmade Rug. In the mid-19th C. E. / 13th A. H. centuries, an evolution in the production of Persian Rugs for the supply of the world market occurred and foreign companies were interested in investing in Iran's Rug production and trade. Following these developments, some of the countries that had the advantage of handmade carpet industry were thinking of developing this industry and entering into the field of competition in international trade. This competition grew in the global market since the First International War, and large carpet manufacturers have always been competing to takeover global markets, especially the European and American markets. The countries of China, India and Turkey were among the most important rivals of Iran, which in the last years of the Qajar era were able to increase their share of the international carpet market. By studying news, content and media ads over the past times, we notice that during the Qajar era, especially during Ahmad Shah and Mohammad Ali Shah, the issuance of Iranian carpet was relatively high compared to the rival countries. A review of the press of this time has confirmed that part of the press has been introducing and helping to overcome the problems facing Iran's Rug. The sovereign look and the issues that journalists of that period endorsed is notable. That's why the problem in this research is that, how has been the content of ads, news and the process of presenting these ads and reports and that how were the issues raised and discussed, and perhaps the strategies ahead in that era, so by using that information can codify a strategic plan in the field of media as well as in the field of executive work of the country's Rug. Research Objectives: 1. Qajar era policies on Iranian Rug. 2. Review of cultural and artistic policies of the Qajar era. Research Questions: 1. What orders did the rulers give during the Qajar era regarding the export of handmade carpets? 2. What were the executive policies on the subject of Rug art during this period?