Scientific Journal of Motaleate-e Tatbighi-e Honar

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kameli S, Aminpoor A. Study of symbolic pictures of the Sun in mihrab and mihrab form Tombstones of 4th to 7th centuries of Hijri calendar. mth 2017; 7 (13) :63-78
URL: http://mth.aui.ac.ir/article-1-732-en.html

Mihrab and Mihrab form tombstones in Iran are important handmade structures which have different religious-ritual functions. Mihrab is the most important place in mosque for determining Qibla and tombstone, is a Specifications plate (name, birth, death, religion) as a sign of venerating the dead person. Mihrab tombstones are very similar to the Mihrab in terms of forms. Similarities of this type of handmade structure is not only in outward form but also is very obvious in the pictures used; like Quranic verses, supplications, arabesques and heliotrope. One of the most usual designs of this kind is the picture and symbol of the sun. This study aims to identify semantic components of the sun design and attempts to answer this question: In what forms, concepts, aspects of differences and similarities was the sun represented in Mihrabs and tombstones of 4th to 7th centuries of Hijri calendar, apart from the ritual function? Therefore, an attempt was made to identify and investigate their concepts and reveal similarities and dissimilarities of the sun symbols in a comparative-analytical method. Findings of the study show that sun picture has been used in different forms such as circle, cross, lilies and roundels in these handmade. Continuity of the sun pictures in these handmade structures represents Iranian-Islamic culture which was a symbol of light and lighting in ancient Iran wisdom (Ahouramazda) and was embodied after Islam as an allegory of divine light especially in roundels. Among the pictures, circle design has the most usage in Mihrab and lilies in tombstone. Roundels and cross designs had an impressive presence in Mihrab and had not been seen in tombstones.