Scientific Journal of Pazhuhesh-e Honar

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Chaharbagh Mosque-school of Isfahan, being one of the most important monuments of Shah Soltan Hossein in the Safavid era, is of chief importance regarding its structure and decorations. The inscriptions are the most prominent features of the art treasure of the Safavid era, that are the best in terms of quality and variety compared to other monuments of the same period. The present study attempts to classify and typology the external structure and themes of the inscriptions of the mentioned building with a multidimensional point of view, and also recognizing the Chaharbagh Mosque-school briefly. The mentioned procedures lead to two questions: 1- According to the considered criterions, what are the different types of inscriptions of the monument? 2- What are their prominent features? The method of this study that is carried out by a typology approach is analytical-descriptive. Data is collected through field and library methods. The data is analyzed qualitatively. The results of the examinations indicate that the most distinctive and important features of the inscriptions of Chaharbagh Mosque-school are the type of materials, the executing techniques, type of lines, the combination of the letters, and also the famous calligraphic artists, which are the base of classifying and typology of the current paper. Accordingly, the inscriptions which are made by using different techniques of tile work, etching, gold work, inlaid, wood work, engraving on stones and even Zilu weaving, and include Suls, Kufi (Bana'i and Muaiqly) and Nastaliq calligraphy, is a collection of the artworks of famous calligraphic artists such as Mohammad Saleh Esfahani, Ali Naghi Emami and Rahim Jazayeri that their works are not seen in many monuments. The most important themes used in these inscriptions are Quranic themes, hadiths and narratives, eulogy of the Prophet, Hazrat Ali, and other Imams, and also some information about the supporter, executors, and the benefactor of the building which are expressed in the form of Arabic texts and Persian poetic and prose.

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Chahar Bagh mosque/school has an important position as one of the most outstanding religious/academic monuments of the Safavid era in terms of Islamic engraving art. The present study, adopting a new approach, attempts to investigate the functions of the inscriptions of this monument in reflecting the teachings of the prophet in addition to expressing the extent of his magnificence. َAttempts have been made in order to provide a setting for answering the two main questions of the study which are:
1-what place did transferring function have in design and making of the inscriptions of the mosque/school?
2- In what ways does the contents of the inscriptions reflect the teachings and grandeur of The Prophet?
The study is developmental. It adopts a descriptive-analytical method. The information was gathered through field and desk study. Also, the data were analyzed qualitatively.
The results of the research indicate the following:
-With respect to the spectrum of contents, the form of the monument and its important position, the role of it as a tool for transferring Islamic ideologies is much more significant than its other functions.
-Furthermore, the most important messages centered around The Prophet(pbuh), were reflected in the content and structure of the inscriptions including: categorized Hadiths, the religious policy of Islam and Shiite with a focus on prophecy, supplications, modeling the personality of The Prophet and eulogy and praise for him in different ways.
It should be mentioned that the afore mentioned contents constitute a huge percent of the contents and they have a significant importance in terms of quality of implementation and place as well.