IRAN (PERSIAN) ARCHITECTURE

& FOLK ARTS

Shan Jasper O. Torres
CHARACTERISTICS OF IRAN
ARCHITECTURE

TEHRAN - Persian architecture has a long

and complex history. The Elamite,
Achaemenian, Hellenistic, and other pre-
Islamic dynasties left striking stone
testaments to their greatness, such as
Chogha Zanbil and Persepolis—both
designated as UNESCO World Heritage
sites in 1979
 CHARACTERISTICS OF IRAN
ARCHITECTURE
▪The usage of iwans (porticos
▪ An iwan is a vaulted space that opens
on one side to a courtyard. The idea of
iwan developed in pre-Islamic Iran
where it was used in monumental and
imperial architecture.  architecture displays the example
)
Extensive use of arches
The two famous monuments, the
Taj Mahal for the Mughal
architecture and the Great
Mosque of Isfahan for the Persian
of this fact. It is built for aesthetic
reasons, as well as to place
windows and to lessen the extent
of sunlight to pour into the
building.

 CHARACTERISTICS OF IRAN
ARCHITECTURE
Gardens, fountains, and pools
Water plays a particularly central role in
Iranian design: millennia before the
invention of the first water pump, Persian
agricultural experts created the qanat
(subterranean aqueduct) based on their
hydraulic laws.
Spacious gardens and pools with fountains
have always been a main feature of Persian
architecture over time. In a traditional
mosque, madrasa, house, it is used for
ablutions, aesthetics or both.
Domes 
The Persian tradition of dome-building
dates back to the earliest
Mesopotamian architecture when
domes became an integral part of
buildings due to the scarcity of wood in
many areas of the Iranian plateau.
In Ancient Persia, domes were
associated with the divine side of life, as
their circular shape represented
perfection, eternity and the heavens,
according to Press TV. 
 CHARACTERISTICS OF IRAN
ARCHITECTURE
Symmetry
Iranian architecture makes use of
abundant symbolic geometry, using
pure forms such as the circle and
square, and plans are based on
often symmetrical layouts featuring
rectangular courtyards and halls.
Usage of Muqarna
Muqarnas is typically applied to the
undersides of domes, pendentives,
cornices, squinches, arches, and vaults
and is often seen in the mihrab of a
mosque. They can be entirely
ornamental, or serve as load-bearing
structures. The earliest forms of
muqarnas domes, found in the
Mesopotamian region, were primarily
structural.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF IRAN
ARCHITECTURE
Calligraph
▪ Iranians’ passion for using the script as
an artistic impression goes back to pre-
Islamic times but it is the work of Islamic
era calligraphers and illuminators that
elevated its use into the high art we
appreciate today. Encouraged by the
Islamic preference for the art of
calligraphy over representational arts, it
developed from epoch to epoch and
from style to style.
y

CHARACTERISTICS OF IRAN
ARCHITECTURE
Muqarnas is typically applied to the
undersides of domes, pendentives,
cornices, squinches, arches, and vaults
and is often seen in the mihrab of a
mosque. They can be entirely
ornamental, or serve as load-bearing
structures. The earliest forms of
muqarnas domes, found in the
Mesopotamian region, were primarily
structural.
 IRAN FOLK ART

The role of Iran as a major participant in a larger economy created by the European commercial
expansion of the sixteenth century was another influence in the arts of this era. The production of artistic
goods became hugely profitable and ‘Abbas had a large hand in encouraging the growth of local crafts. In
pottery, imitations of ceramics from Iznik in Turkey and of blue-and-white ware from China were especially
popular, and the native technique of lusterware was revived.
 Carpet weaving was transformed from a craft practiced by nomads and peasants into a national industry,
with designs drafted by professional artists in the court workshops (50.190.1). Many Persian carpets can be
found in collections throughout Europe as they became status symbols. Fabrics were another major
industry; travelers Jean Chardin and Jean-Baptiste Tavernier both described silk-weaving factories in the
cities of Yazd and Kashan, and the production of velvet increased as it became highly fashionable.

 IRAN FOLK ART

In the seventeenth century, adventurous traders and ambassadors sent by foreign kings
came to Iran bearing works of art as presents to Persian high officials. The many
prints, illustrated books, and oil paintings they brought provided new inspiration for
artists in Iran. In some instances, these works were copied directly, such as lovers from a
Dutch print that appear as a fresco, or a biblical scene reworked as a bookbinding. In
other cases, the European works provided new technical devices, which local artists
combined with elements of traditional Persian painting. Modeling, foreshortening, spatial
recession, and the medium of oil painting were all adopted by Persian artists but were
employed in depictions of familiar subjects or in combination with traditional
conventions.
 IRAN FOLK ART

▪ Another effect of the economic boom was the creation of a new class of patrons.
The urban rich, Armenian merchants, foreign travelers, and artists interested in each
other’s works could now all afford to purchase art. As a result, single-page paintings,
less costly than fully illustrated manuscripts, became popular. In addition, artists were
no longer dependent on the royal workshop for employment
▪ After ‘Abbas I, the Safavids continued as patrons, but on a reduced scale. ‘Abbas II (r.
1642–66) added the Chihil Sutun, a pavilion with large-scale wall paintings of historical
and literary subjects, to the royal complex in Isfahan. Sulaiman (r. 1666–94)
commissioned two further palaces, the Hasht Bihisht and the Talar-i Ashraf. The great
days of Safavid art were over, however, and Iran was heading in new directions.

 CARPET FRAGMEN

Among the rarest of all classical Persian carpets

is the Khorasan type, from northeastern Iran.
Early Khorasan carpets survive only in
fragmentary form, and this particular example is
one of five known fragments from a carpet
made in the Safavid period. Originally part of
the right border, its decoration consists of a
pattern of elaborate cartouches alternating with
octafoil medallions that contain open blossoms.
Despite its fragmented state, the piece is in
excellent condition, with good pile and splendid
colors in dark blue, golden yellow, ivory, and red.
T

 Polonaise Carpe
This carpet, one of a matching pair, belongs to a type known as
"Polonaise," noted for its silk pile, pastel color palette, and
extensive use of gold- and silver-metal-wrapped thread. The
designation "Polonaise" reflects the (incorrect) nineteenth-
century belief that carpets of this type were from Poland, a
notion derived from the presence of similar carpets bearing
European coats of arms. In fact, these carpets were made in
Iran and shipped abroad in large numbers. Many were also
brought to Europe by Persian embassies as gifts from the shahs,
and some were commissioned in Iran by visiting Europeans.
Though Polonaise carpets are relatively common, the design of
overlapping cartouches seen here is rare
t

 ANHALT MEDALLION CARPE

The excellent condition and unusual colors of this carpet
make it a unique example of carpet production during the
Safavid period in Iran. The yellow field, rarely seen in carpets
of this type, renders it an unusual variation of a classic design.
The central medallion, scrolling vines (arabesque), and
peacocks in the field are all common features of Safavid
carpets. The arabesque designs have parallels in sixteenth-
century Persian tile revetments, while the central medallion
design is similar to contemporary book covers, suggesting
that the same court workshop created designs for
manuscripts, carpets, and architectural ornamentation.
T

HANDICRAFTS
IRAN (PERSIAN) ARCHITECTURE & FOLK ARTS

Quiz Link Sources

▪ https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/
439643/A-glance-at-essential-elements-
of-traditional-architecture-
in#:~:text=Iranian%20architecture%20
makes%20use%20of,use%20of%20color
ful%20stone%20mosaics
▪ Google photos
.

Thank you!