Historic monuments in Iran have been divided to many types depended on their utilization. Condition made architects utilize various approaches to build their monuments. Using native scientific and cultural resources in different districts of Iran had created different and particular architecture.
For example, the palace or the house for the kings in the specific era was built more detailed and magnificent than ordinary houses.
Research indicate that shape and layout of the Iranian historic buildings and cities was nothing except reflection of life custom, religion, economy and more important than that climate and geographical location of people at their own ages.
Weather and climate are so important that made the architects consider great harmonious between architecture and climate.
In this page we are going to take part in the types of historic monuments and traditional houses:
Palaces
Magnificent historic monuments in Iran are palaces. Building palace technology dates back to almost 2000 BC. Palaces were built for kings which had been built with different architecture in different era. In Iran palaces vary from 2500-year-old palace like Persepolis in Shiraz to 400-year-old ones like Ali Qapu palace of Isfahan.
Gardens
Gardening in Iran has great antiquity and special importance in their architecture. “Paradise” was a name for describing heaven and after entering Islam in Iran the word “Paradise” had turned into a symbol of heaven. Muslims tried to make a scene of immortality of Paradise in mortal universe with planting large evergreen trees like cedar in their gardens.
At the beginning of gardening, architects gave a serious consideration to geometric design. Geometric shape of square and rectangle was so important for them and made the distances between element in the garden clear and simple. Because of that special design, traditional gardens in Iran can be counted as historic monuments.
Native buildings
We can find intriguing innovation in any kinds of historic monuments and traditional houses of Iran. like native language which means the words that the people of specific region use in their language, Native building means the houses which are made by their native people and architects. These buildings are made in special region and sometimes have special shape and architecture.
Mosques
First monuments which emerged with entering Islam in Iran were mosques. The building for saying the congregational prayers of Muslims. For Muslims saying prayer is recommended be done in congregational form. The best places for gathering people were the temples, churches, fire temples which before emerging the Islam they used to gather there. Since before the Islam Zoroasterian religion was popular in Iran after Entering the Islam those places turned into mosques with little changes like Jame mosque of Yazd.
Shrines or tombs
How tombs and shrines were built have great importance during history in different types of architecture. These types of architecture directly depend on opinion in it’s own contemporary age and is worth to contemplate in aspect of economic, art, social, history and cultural. Making tombs is an evidence of believing in the life after death and also affection of other people for the dead person.
- Tombs before emerging Isalm in Iran
- Tombs after emerging Isalm in Iran
Tombs before emerging Isalm in Iran
In Iran first tombs were built in the form of crypt. In the Medes era they created chamber of crypt in the mountains which indicates their opinions and religion which made the tomb holy for the people. You can find these form of holy tombs or shrines in Kurdistan, Kermanshah and west Azerbaijan, Fars and part of Iraq. For example you can see four magnificent tomb of Achaemenid kings in the mountain in Fars province of Iran in Marvdasht city where it’s name is Naqsh-e Rostam or Necropolis and also two more tombs in Persepolis.
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Tombs after emerging Isalm in Iran
The existence of holy shrines and tombs was a great reason for Iranian to build shrines for important persons especially after immigration of Imams to Iran. Such shrines in Iran gradually got pilgrimage aspect and people have been coming to see the shrine and pray there for years like Imam Reza 8th Imam of Shia Muslims. In some cases we can find tombs which are inspired by Zoroastrian temple like tomb of Amir Ismail in Bokhara.
As we said the importance personality of the dead person made people to build shrine for them. We can also see tomb of some literary characters who were respectful for people and after their dead shrines were built for them.
Churches in Iran
Another historic religious monuments in Iran are churches. Churches was built in special method and important feature which you can see in it is conic dome made for them. Ancient churches in Iran has build built and divided in three major groups:
- Churches which date back to before 14th century AD.
- Churches which were built in Safavid era.
- Churches which were built in 19th and 20th centuries AD.
Churches which date back to before 14th century AD
Most of them were built in Azerbaijan. They were built with stone and the eldest Iranian church is located near Maqu city, it’s name is Saint Thaddeus and was built in 6th century AD. Because one of the apostles has been buried there, this church is an important place for Christian people and come there for pilgrimage in summer from allover the world every year.
Churches which were built in Safavid era
Most of them were built in Isfahan. They were built with adobe, brick and stone. They have round domes, the external view have framing the same as houses of Isfahan. Armenian artists in Isfahan used Christian and Iranian art with inspiring European in particular Italian art to create magnificent paintings which imply the Gospel. This combination which created intriguing art attracts many tourists every year.
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Churches which were built in 19th and 20th centuries AD.
The domes in such churches are sharp and have pyramidal shape. These churches have been constructed with inspiring of churches in Armenia.