This article tries to present a com prehensive picture of Safavid architecture, investigate its roots in the history of Persian architecture, and survey important building typologies of this period. It is not an interpretational or analytical survey of this architecture however; but rather it is an attempt to determine the scope of construction activities in this period. The study is undertaken within the context of a significant geopolitical moment in the history of this region which led to great achievements. A survey of building typologies of this period which includes mosques, mausoleums, schools, palaces, gardens, caravanserais, etc. Indicates the links between Safavid architecture and that of the past periods. These architectural experiences, demonstrate that the achievements of the Safavid architects are not just because of their mastery in their profession. The Safavid architects were also depending on, while simultaneously contributing to, their rich tradition in the past. Moreover, they enjoyed a serious support on part of their patrons.

Isfahan, one of the Iranian historical cities in Islamic era, experienced a flourish in architecture as a result of its special situation particularly during Safavid dynasty ruling. The city was provided with many mosques, palaces, bridges, streets and gardens alter it was declared as capital by Shah Abbass and its development continued through Shah Abbass (the second) ruling as well. The golden age of Safavid architecture coincided with the coming of Shah Abbass I to throne. Although it hardly can be regarded as the brightest age of architecture in Iran; it was an improvement period in Iranian architecture. Unlike the primitive periods of architecture, color and decoration played a great role in Safavid architecture. Many buildings remained of this era, are very beautiful and rare in terms of decoration and external form, although they are not so interesting in terms of architectural principles. Therefore, Isfahan buildings in that time can be considered an important source of study about decorational elements in Iranian-Islamic architecture. Beautiful places like Aliqapu, Hasht- Beheshtand Chehel-Sotun and also famous mosques like Imam and Sheikh-Lotf-Allah represent the glory of Safavid decorational architecture. Armenians, One of those groups who had been made to immigrate to Isfahan by Shah Abbass (the first). needed their cultural essentials to provide their moral and material life in Safavid Capital. So, their need of worship places, made them to get the permission of Safavid court, to build churches. Among churches Of Safavid era, Van, Beit -Lahm, Saint Maria, Saint Peter ..., et can be mentioned artists decorating these churches, influenced by Safavid architectural styles and they even used Islamic architectural decorations to decorate churches. In present essay, the impression of Safavid architectural decorations on the decoration of these buildings has explored. So the main aims of the essay are as follow:I. To identify architectural characteristics of Armenianchurches in Isfahan besides Islamic architecture of Safavid era:To study the nature and amount of Safavid architectural effectson Isfahan churches decoration. Also these questions are answered:2.How Safavid Islamic architecture has influenced the decorationsof Armenian churches in Isfahan?3. On which one of Safavid buildings or Churches of Isfahan such influences can be evident?4. On which parts of churches the styles of Safavid decorative elements can be better evident?The essay materials have been compiled from historical literature, documents, pictures and photos available. Arranging andediting has also been done through descriptive,analytical and comparative method.

architecture, as a form of civilization, has always represented the deepest spiritual tendencies of a nation; such a notion is constantly deliberated upon when studying Islamic architecture. Traditional Islamic architecture is deeply intertwined with the epistemology and historical ontology of Muslims. The Safavid period is considered a unique period from a philosophical perspective; during this period, the dual tendencies of Islamic philosophy, that is, the peripatetic and Enlightenment tendencies, came together and appeared in Sadra's new philosophy. The formation of a new philosophical attitude and the transformation of the new Islamic worldview, in turn, had many effects on the integrity of civilization. Safavid architecture was also influenced by such inspirations and the reflection of the mentioned philosophical attitudes was apparent. In Descartes' philosophy, minor significance to space has led to the phenomenon that triggered the overlook of qualitative memories and ultimately reduces the foundation of a spiritual outlook in Western societies. In the residential architecture of the Safavid era, contrary to this view, we see the quality of space. A quality that unites all the elements of architecture in a single principle, that is, the display of human status in the spiritual world. It is this fundamental principle that places the Safavid house as a continuation of the mosque and a place for the emergence of meaning. In this study, we have endeavored to use the Safavid house as a critical tool to improve the condition of today's houses. In order to achieve this goal, a descriptive-analytical method has been used with the aid of a questionnaire in order to evaluate the attitude of the people of Isfahan towards Safavid and modern houses. The results of the present study indicates that the general attitude towards traditional Safavid houses is more positive and people prefer such houses to modern structures. The motive for such preference is the existence of the same spiritual elements that exists in Safavid residential houses. Research objectives: 1. Identifying the effects of Islamic philosophy on Safavid residential architecture. 2. Improving modern residential structures with an outlook towards Safavid architecture. Research questions: 1. What effects has Islamic philosophy had on Safavid residential architecture? 2. By assessing the target community, what are the differences between modern and Safavid residential architecture?

The artistic ties between Iran and Europe were culminated in the 11th century AD, following the establishment of political and trade relations between the Safavid sultans, in particular, Shah Abbas I and the European countries, including the Habsburg Empire. Hence, the political and commercial delegations of the two empires came to the conclusion of political and commercial contracts. Of other events of the 11th century AD, one can refer to the arrival of European travelers to the Iran of the Safavid era, which played a significant role in making Iran known to Europeans by writing some reports on Iran and its historical monuments. Therefore, using a descriptive-analytical method and library resources, this research examines the historical backgrounds that led to cultural-civilization transactions, especially in the field of architecture between Iran and Austria during the Safavid period, and it also investigates the influences by which this art has exerted on the architecture of the city of Vienna, the capital of Austria. The research findings indicate that during the Safavid period, influenced by the ways of communicating with Europe, artistic themes, especially the art of Iran, through political delegations and the publication of travelogues of tourists in Europe, were transmitted to Europe. Accordingly, inspired by these architectural themes, some of the Austrian architects built such mansions as the Schö, nbrunn Palace, the Belvedere Palace, the Palace of the KlessHaim, and the Church of St. Charles gained from the architecture of Esfahan in Austria.

One of the remarkable spatial innovations in Safavid architecture is the tālār (acceptance hall). Although few examples remain today and as in some cases (e.g. Ali Qapu), they were annexed to previous buildings, the elegance and beauty of the overall architectural composition are such that nowadays it is almost impossible to imagine the buildings without tālārs. This raises some questions about their origins, their emergence, and their history of development in the architecture of this period. Although various statements have been proposed, none is sufficiently convincing in the opinion of most experts. The present article sheds light on the origin of the tālār emphasizing a little-studied element in Persian architecture, i.e., tents and temporary structures that were built in gardens. The research employs the interpretive-historical method, analyzing extant textual/pictorial sources. The results indicate that the invention of the tālār could be associated with the development of tent and kiosk structures, where they were repurposed as permanent structures having more columns and a larger scale.

Persian literature, chiefly in the realm of poetry apart from its narrative characteristic, has always been a medium for expressing words of morality, spirituality, eulogy, and description. In the architecture of Persian buildings; however, even the smallest fraction of the monument beholds meaning and concepts that associates with the everyday life of the society. Poems are embraced within inscriptions and are in agreement with the specific space and area of the setting and can effortlessly articulate the notions and deliberations of the artist and architect. This feature is visibly manifested in Timurid and Safavid architecture in the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries.By vigilantly evaluating the content of the inscriptions that include words of praise and eulogy, also the name of the architect, guarantor and the date of construction, the direct involvement between these contents and the overall notion of the people; can be seen. In this paper, the main characteristics of the mentioned periods, the poetry and literature of the age and the correlation between these two will be discussed.Aims:-Recognizing the main architectural traits and the importance of poetry and literature in the Safavid and Timurid eras.-Understanding the relation between poetry and architecture in the buildings and monuments of these two periods.Questions:-What are the main themes applied in the literature of the Timurid and Safavid periods?-How can literature affect architecture or vice versa?

This paper examines in detail the little-known Friday Mosque (masjid-i jāmi‘) of Firdaus, located southwest of the Khurasan, which has had a key role in developing Saljuq architecture in the area. The original scheme of the mosque was unclear. The lofty īwān and two flanking dome chambers on the west (qibla) side of the courtyard are the central core of the mosque. The main aim of the article is to analyse the architecture of the mosque and demonstrate its association with the architectural style of the Saljuq mosque in the Khurasan area.  During the conservation and restoration measures in 2006, some fresh materials were unearthed. The new findings shed light on the original features of the mosque and revealed its formation. The paper describes the city's history, defines its architectural characteristics, and then analyses the present information for replying to the research questions. Owing to the outcomes of the archaeological investigation, the study suggests the general scheme of the mosque as a further example of the two- īwān mosque, which may be dated to the late years of the 6th /12th century. Despite the importance of the mosque, no lengthy study has been published about the building. The accurate drawing of the plan and sections of this monument, with the proposal scheme for the reconstruction of the mosque, are being published in this paper for the first time.

Vaulting (roof) is a covering surface at the top of the space. Richness and variety of vaulting in Iran's architecture differ from those in other cultures. In Persian literature applying the term "Aseman-eh", which means ceiling and is rooted in the word "Aseman" or sky, indicates the ethereal aspect of the Iranian ceilings. This fact appeared particularly in Safavid era that a symbolic articulation governed the absence and appearance of architecture. This paper aims at analyzing the symbolic meaning of vaulting in Safavid era. This is achieved through collecting liberal and field data from seven cases of vaultings in Safavid buildings. Cases are selected from great mosques and schools that had been more influenced by spiritual and cultural aspects of Safavid society. These cases are obtained from Jami Mosque of Isfahan, Chahār Bāgh School (Shah School), Sheykh Lofolah Mosque and Hakim Mosque. First of all, each case is introduced by means of applied symbols in forms, ornaments, cityscape, and lighting. Subsequently their meanings are suggested based on the historical liberal documents. Finally, qualitative analysis (comparing) of the symbols and their meaning results in for layers of meaning.The first layer of meanings is the concept of "sky" that is realized from the curved form and central geometry of domes and is repeated in pre Islam as well as after Islam eras of Iranian architecture. In Safavid era, the natural meaning of sky elevates to an ethereal one. General structure of form and geometrical characteristics of space beneath domes, result in the meaning of "Unity" as the second layer. A balanced and symmetrical space that greatly emphasizes on the vertical axe on the center of domed chamber articulates the massage of moving from multiplicity to unity. To develop these two concepts, the meaning of "paradise" appears. Embodiment of this meaning came to view in wall ornaments of previous mosques, but in Safavid era considering the comment application of Haft-Rang tiling, this concept manifests in vaulting. Consequently, internal and external surfaces of vaultings are covered with arabesque patterns intermingled with colorful flowers in a ultramarine background. The most elevated meaning of vaulting in this era is the meaning of "Shiite Perfect Man" that is the reality of the paradise and is referred to Imam Ali (pbuh) in Shiite wisdom. This meaning is embodied in the great domes, in the heart of spiritual spaces and extended from domed chamber to the Jami Mosque or School and from there throughout the entire city spaces. The result of this paper indicates that In Safavid era a galaxy of new Shiite concepts completes and enriches the meaning of vaulting. Consequently, besides two meanings of "The sky" and "unity" belonged to domes of previous eras of Islamic architecture, two new meanings of "Paradise" and "Shiite Perfect Man" came in to view. Not only are not these newly appeared meanings contradictory, but also they are compatible, in harmony and complete previous ideas.