Comparative Study of Muqarnas with Takht and Brick-Facing Elements at Isfahan’s Historical Mosques Through a Two-Dimensional Geometry of Muqarnas

Rezaei, Elham; Nasekhian, Shahryar; Vali-Beig, Nima

doi:10.22034/aaud.2024.416947.2828

Comparative Study of Muqarnas with Takht and Brick-Facing Elements at Isfahan’s Historical Mosques Through a Two-Dimensional Geometry of Muqarnas

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Elham Rezaei ¹

Shahryar Nasekhian ²

Nima Vali-Beig ³

¹ Ph.D. Candidate in Restoration of Historical Buildings and Textures, Faculty of Preservation and Restoration, Isfahan University of Art, Isfahan, Iran.

² Associate Professor of Restoration of Historical Buildings and Textures, Faculty of Preservation and Restoration, Isfahan University of Art, Isfahan, Iran (Corresponding Author).

³ Assistant Professor of Restoration of Historical Buildings and Textures, Faculty of Preservation and Restoration, Isfahan University of Art, Isfahan, Iran.

10.22034/aaud.2024.416947.2828

Abstract

A two-dimensional geometry framework helps investigate the similarities and differences of muqarnas1 with Takht and brick-facing features at Isfahan’s historical mosques. Analyzing similarities and differences will thus reveal the specific and general features of the said muqarnas. A comparative study technique is a strategy to investigate how and why muqarnas are similar and what makes them distinguish from each other. No comparative studies have ever employed a two-dimensional geometric design to understand and categorize muqarnas with Takht and brick-facing compositions at the historical mosques of Isfahan, Iran. The statistical population of this study was composed of eight muqarnas at Isfahan’s historical mosques, including the Lonban Mosque, the Hakim Mosque, the Jame’ Mosque of Isfahan, the Saro-Taghi Mosque, the Ilchi Mosque, the Shishe Mosque, and the Sha’ya Mosque, where muqarnas formations are constructed in Nimkar shapes. Data were collected by acquiring the muqarnas using short-range photogrammetry and point cloud modeling, as well as by taking plane photos of the models before plotting them in AutoCAD. Meanwhile, geometric and mathematical relations were used to analyze the data. Disregard the differences, there are many similarities with the muqarnas when it comes to examining the interrelationships between elements of the plan, proportions, and divisions of the plan, and facing features, with the Tee2 element being missing in all the muqarnas sites. Repetitive features between muqarnas provide solutions to plot them into two-dimensional forms. The most important solutions include the proportions of the main Takhts to the side length of Toranjs, the circumscribed or inscribed circles of Shamse or the circumscribed circle of the Toranjs on the midpoints of the length, width, or diameter of half of the context, making the side length of the Toranj equivalent to half the height of tiers, and also making large sides of Shaparaks and Pabariks approximately equivalent to the Toranj’s side.

Keywords

Brick-Faced Muqarnas

Takht Element

Two-Dimensional Geometry

Isfahan’s Historic Mosques

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