Tomb towers and minarets: analysis of symmetries and geometries of Iranian geometrical ornaments of the Seljuq era. Pictorial requiem for the Kharraqan towers
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Ornamental adornment of the Kharraqan tomb towers, the most outstanding funeral monuments of the Seljuk era in NW Iran, and those of four best-preserved Seljuq brick minarets in northern Iran, documents the artistic canon of the pre-glaze stage of Iranian Islamic architecture. Despite some later interruptions, these monuments and their plain-brick ornaments, as well as the ‘virtually interlaced’ brick ornaments, stand at the beginnings of a rich development that led to the Safavid architecture of Iran. Besides documentation and study of the geometric character of early Islamic art, which was based on limited technical resources, this study offers insight into symmetry concepts developed at this stage of art and architecture development. This is the last and most complete study of the Kharraqan towers performed before their overwhelming destruction in the 2002 earthquake.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Tidsskrift | Rendiconti Lincei |
| Vol/bind | 34 |
| Sider (fra-til) | 703–720 |
| ISSN | 2037-4631 |
| DOI | |
| Status | Udgivet - 2023 |
Bibliografisk note
Funding Information:
The present study in 2002 was made possible by a research travel grant from C.L. Davids Fond og Samling, Copenhagen, Denmark. Mrs. Britta Munch’s professional help in graphic works during her employment by the University of Copenhagen, is gratefully acknowledged. To stress again: this is a pictorial requiem for the two magnificent Kharraqan tomb towers, which succumbed to the powers of Nature, and not to a human hand (as it unfortunately is usual). I express my admiration for master builder Muhammad ibn Makki al-Zanjani who left behind such architectural jewels, and I direct urgent appeals to the Ministry of Culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran to save at least something from these damaged monuments before it is too late. My thanks to the anonymous reviewers for the careful inspection of the manuscript. Last but not least, I thank my wife, Dr. Milota Makovicky for her infinite patience and understanding.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
ID: 362058289