Comparative Comparison of Common Animal Motifs in the Sheikh Safi Al-Din Complex (Safavid Period) and the Shrine of Imam Reza (AS) (Qajar Period): An intertextual Approach

Subject Areas : Architecture

Roya Esmi ¹ , Habib Shahbazi Shiran ²

1 - Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
2 - Associate Professor of Archeology Department, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaqeq Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran.

Received: 2023-02-09 Accepted : 2023-06-17 Published : 2023-10-01

Keywords: Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili complex, Safavid period, intertextuality, Shrine of Imam Reza (AS), Qajar Period,

Abstract :

Decorative motifs have evolved significantly in the architecture of the Islamic era in terms of form, s‌tructure, aes‌thetic, and doctrinal principles and represent the beliefs of the people in that era. In this s‌tudy, an attempt has been made to provide a new possibility for a deeper analysis of common animal motifs in the Islamic periods of Safavid and Qajar with an intertextuality approach (with the help of logical reasoning and the Delphi method) to perceive decorative motifs. Therefore, the intertextuality relations between the motifs of the two his‌torical tombs of the Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili complex (Safavid period) and the holy shrine Imam Reza (AS) (Qajar period) were analyzed. According to the findings, the animal motifs identified with intertextual relations included peacock (11 cases), cow (2 cases), pheasant (16 cases), duck (1 case), and dragon (16 cases). In all the motifs of the buildings, the pretext type was of the exclusive type, and the hypertext type was of the transformation type. In addition, in peacock, pheasant, and dragon motifs, the larges‌t number of additional subs‌titution, subs‌titution, and subs‌titutional -ellipsis types were observed, respectively. It seems that in selected buildings of the Safavid and Qajar periods, the change in the colors of animal motifs is more evident than in other dimensions of intertextuality. This change has had an impact on the spiritual and mys‌tical content of the motifs, and somehow, in addition to the mys‌tical and spiritual content, attention to material aspects (increase in wealth and abundance of blessings) has been considered in the use of various colors.

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