Clarifying the effect of spatial settlement concepts based on Rapaport's theory on examples of women's clothing in the Nasri era (case study: Tutunchi house in the Historical Context of Shiraz)

Subject Areas : َArchitecture

GHAZAL OMIDVAR ¹ , Mohammad Ali Rahimi ² , Abbas Ashoorinejad ³ , ali bamdad ⁴

1 - Department of Architecture, Bu.C. , Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran
2 - Department of Architecture, Bu.C., Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran
3 - Department of History, Bu.C., Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran
4 - Department of Architecture, Shi.C., Hafez University, Shiraz, Iran

Received: 2025-05-06 Accepted : 2025-06-24 Published : 2025-09-28

Keywords: spatial settlement, women's clothing, Qajar era, Naseri era, Shiraz,

Abstract :

Culture, as the structure of human societies, includes a wide variety of behavioral characteristics of a society. What is observed in human societies - from macro to micro scale - is one of the cultural outcome. Art, architecture, economics and social issues are not excluded from this rule. As one of the fundamental parts of social life, the house plays a vital role in human culture. Now, one of the most important   compartments   in house inspection is the spatial arrangement in it. Spatial settlement defines conditions in which orderly and predictable behavior occurs.In the study of the issue of the house in the traditional architecture of Iran, one of the notable cases is the principle of privacy, which can be clearly seen in the clothing of people in society, especially women. Clothing is also another manifestation of the culture of each country, which is formed based on the personality and class of people in the society. Now, this question is raised whether it is possible to consider a relationship between the spatial arrangement of the house and women's clothing?  According to the historical studies, it can be said that the Qajar era and especially the Naseri era is one of the turning points in the history of Iran and the beginning of the transition period. These developments are clearly evident in all political, social and cultural fields. Following these transformations, factors related to culture, such as clothing and houses, also changed. The general purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between spatial settlement and women's clothing during the era of Naser al-Din Shah.

 

Extended Abstract

 

Introduction

Culture, as an  inclusive concept, affects all aspects of human existence and plays a significant  role in the formation of social actions and beliefs. This concept is manifested in both material and immaterial dimensions, not only in values and norms, but also in physical spaces. One of the prominent manifestations of traditional Iranian culture is the concept of privacy, which is reflected in women's clothing and the spatial organization of traditional architecture. Historical Iranian houses, relying on flexibility, adaptability, and functional diversity, have responded to a lifestyle based on these values. The theories of researchers such as Rappaport and Altman on the relationship between environment and behavior, as well as Haeri Mazandarani's studies on the interaction of lifestyle and spatial organization, have paved the way for cultural-spatial analyses in architecture. Furthermore, clothing, as a cultural symbol, is a reflection of the intellectual developments of society and enters into a symbolic dialogue with space. Studies such as Özdilf, Kodžoman, and Sohrabi have explained the relationship between clothing and identity, psychology, and culture. Due to the fundamental changes in the cultural, social, and physical structure of society , the Nasseri period has a special place. Numerous studies, including those by Kadivar, Zolfaghari, and Sorkheh, have examined these developments. This study, focusing on the Totunchi house, seeks to examine how the spatial arrangement of the house influence women's clothing in the historical and cultural context of the Nasseri era and take a step toward linking past concepts with contemporary design.

 

Methodology

In this study, a mixed strategy (qualitative and quantitative) is  used and the research process is  carried out in three stages. In the first stage, primary information from library resources and documents is  collected, analyzed, and interpreted. The second step is to interpret and explain the influential components of spatial placement on women's clothing. In the third step, the influential and determining factors of spatial placement on women's clothing (during the Nasseri era) have been   analyzed  by using the survey method and  a  questionnaire . Then, the validity and reliability of the study  have been  examined. Finally, by means of  qualitative method, a case study of women's behavior in the spatial placements in the Totunchi House during the Nasseri era in Shiraz has been analyzed.

 

Results and discussion

The research background is divided into three general categories: the relationship between environment and behavior, concepts of women's clothing, and women's clothing during the Qajar era. The researchers who are  mentioned before,  have conducted studies in the field of the relationship between the built environment and behavior, and among them, the theories of Amos Rappaport, as one of the most prominent theorists, have been considered in this study. Rappaport defines the environment in terms of four main concepts: environment as the organization  of space, time, meaning, and communication, environment as a system of settlements, environment as a cultural landscape, environment as fixed, semi-fixed, and non-fixed elements. Among these concepts, the concept of "spatial settlement system" has a special place, and other concepts are proposed to complement and develop it. These four concepts are briefly explained below. The second concept is "women's clothing." Clothing is known as one of the basic human needs and one of the most prominent cultural characteristics of human societies. In this section, several factors that influence clothing, including gender, social class, status, religion, ethnicity, race, identity, and symbols, are examined in detail. In the final section, women's clothing during the Nasseri era is examined. Due to the long monarchy of Nasser al-Din Shah and the extensive cultural developments that occurred, this period is divided into two periods: styles and examples of women's clothing in the first and second periods of the Nasseri era.

 

Conclusion

Over time and with the development of socio-cultural activities and the formation of human religious beliefs, the cultural role, its social and symbolic function, became prominent, and the family, religious, economic, educational and governmental institutions are all effective in creating meaning for the phenomenon of clothing. In traditional societies, women's clothing was considered important due to the importance of religious matters. This issue can be examined in two aspects: non-physical and physical. Non-physical factors are also classified into three subcategories: religion, race and identity. It is worth noting that non-physical factors of clothing form the physical aspect of clothing.The social context has an undeniable effect  on the type of clothing. During the reign of Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, extensive cultural changes took place in Iranian society, and these changes also had a significant impact on the form of clothing as a cultural issue. Another significant  factor affected by the cultural context of society is the issue of the house and the establishment of its space. Now, considering the commonalities of the influence of clothing and spatial placement, and of course the prominent role of women in both matters, this study examines the effects of these factors on each other.Cultural landscapes have multiple spatial placement systems in which activities take place, and clothing is also formed in proportion to the activity in the placement. In the home, spatial separation is divided into private, semi-public, and public spaces through internal and external spaces, intermediate spaces, entrances, and depending on the location and layout, into private, semi-public, and public spaces. Moreover, women's clothing varies in each space. This hierarchy is shaped in terms of  the presence of women in the space, and the determination of clothing is regulated based on the presence of other people in different spaces. Even in ceremonies where spatial placement is defined by furniture, women's clothing also changes. So, activity determines furniture and women's clothing. Semi-fixed elements have meaning and influence on women's clothing. Finally, the environmental meaning is defined depending on the type of activity, furniture, the presence of other people, etc., and directly refers to how women dress.

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