A Study of The Semiotics of the Ccommon Language of Christianity in the Structure and Visual Motifs of The Domes of the Armenian Churches of Isfahan: With Emphasis on Peirce's Theory

Subject Areas : Archaeology

Nazanin Rahmani ¹ , Abolghasem Dadvar ^{2 *} , Ali Akbar Jahangard ³ , Touraj Fashandaki ⁴

1 - Department of Research of Art, Kish international Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kish Island, Iran.
2 - Department of Research of Art, Faculty of Art, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.
3 - Department of Art and Architecture, Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran , Iran.
4 - Department of Art, Faculty of Art, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.

Received: 2025-08-02 Accepted : 2025-09-06 Published : 2025-09-25

Keywords: Semiotics, Common Language of Art, Christian Art, Dome, Armenian Churches, Safavid,

Abstract :

With the arrival of Christian Armenians in Isfahan during the reign of Shah Abbas Safavid, churches were built in this city, like the mosques of this period. The structure and decorations of the church building captured the audience's attention. The Armenian churches of Isfahan have large domes with motifs and visual elements. By analyzing them, common signs and symbols can be identified. The primary concern of this research is whether the architectural and visual motifs of the Armenian churches in Isfahan share a common language and convey a unified goal, rooted in the principles of Christian belief. And what are the most important components of their common language, and why were these components used? The need for research is to examine the dimensions of the common language in terms of analyzing the symbols and visual signs in these domes based on the principles of Christianity.The purpose of this research is to examine and identify the common language, the direction of the perceptions, and the kinship of the worshipers. And how to reach this common language requires semiotic analysis. Therefore, the research uses a descriptive-analytical method, and the data collection tool is a library method. And it is discussed based on the semiotic theory of Charles Sanders Peirce. The findings show that the churches have circular domes with skylights. The outer covering of the domes lacks decorative motifs. The visual motifs are engraved on the inside of the building and under the domes. And they all follow the same structure. And they have Christian concepts that form a common language. Including: God, eternity, resurrection, and salvation. The components that have formed the structure and visual motifs of the domes of the Armenian churches of Isfahan have a direct connection with the Holy Bible and faith in God (God the Father)and Jesus Christ (the Son). And they play an important role in the perceptions and identification of the audience.

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