Journal of Researches in Islamic Architecture

Investigating the Role of Gender Distinctions in the Design of Traditional Houses in Tabriz during the Qajar and Pahlavi Eras

Sahar Hosseinpour

Throughout history, due to gender-based distinctions formed within society, differing needs have been defined for men and women. Architecture, as one of the most impressionable aspects of society, has consequently transformed. Attention to gender—as a social and cultural factor influencing the formation of physical environments and their spatial arrangement—is of particular importance. In exploring the relationship between gender and architecture, the concept of gendered spaces emerges, with examples identifiable in traditional Iranian architecture. In this context, cultural, social, and economic factors have generally shaped the conception of gender and space. Among the most significant elements of traditional architecture are residential houses. This study investigates, analyzes, and compares the physical components of a selection of traditional houses located in the historical fabric of Tabriz from the Qajar and Pahlavi periods, focusing on gender distinctions and the influencing factors. To this end, eight Qajar houses and eight Pahlavi houses were selected as case studies. The research aims to answer the following questions: How were gender distinctions manifested in the design of traditional houses in Tabriz during the Qajar and Pahlavi periods? What are the differences between them? And which spatial elements were most affected by gender differentiation? A qualitative analysis was conducted to address these questions. According to the findings, gender distinctions in the architecture of Qajar-era houses were more significantly influenced by cultural, social, and economic factors. By contrast, the influence of these factors on gender-based spatial segregation was significantly reduced in Pahlavi-era houses. Ultimately, these homes exhibited an absence of gender-based spatial division, and their architecture moved towards extroversion. Among all architectural elements in Qajar-period houses, the greatest impact of gender distinction was evident in the spatial definition of two separate courtyards: the outer and the inner courtyard. In Pahlavi-era houses, although gender distinctions were generally reduced across all spatial components, private rooms, bathrooms, and—in some cases—the kitchen remained the elements most influenced by gender considerations.

Spatial Organization of Islamic Madrasas: A Study of Central Asian Madrasas during the Timurid, Shaybanid, and Ashtarkhanid Periods

Behzad Vasigh

The Central Asian region, due to its location on the Silk Road and its role in the reconstruction of Iranian national culture, is a suitable context for understanding Iranian architecture. Political developments and the multiplicity and durability of emirates have caused building diversity. Madrasas are among the functions that have a privileged position among these buildings and have been favored by the rulers for religious-political reasons. In this research, a comparative study between Central Asian madrasas has been done. To date, no studies have examined the architecture of Central Asian madrasas during the Islamic period using contemporary research methods, whereas most architectural studies have increasingly adopted modern analytical approaches. The research method is based on case studies. Schools were analyzed in DEPTHMAP software. One of the objectives of this research is to clarify the roots of physical planning and typology of these madrasas by applying spatial, structural, and physical analysis of the madrasas in this geography. The question of this research is: What is the process of spatial transformations of Central Asian madrasas? The research aims to investigate the spatial evolution of Central Asian schools from the Timurid to the Oshtarkhanid. This research shows that، the design procedures were formed based on the variety in the number of yards، the way of demarcation between the public area of the city and the education space، the separation of residence and teaching، and from the physical point of view، the way of volume organization including having The minaret، the shape of the entry organ، the way of stabilizing the volume in the corners and from the spatial aspect، the shape of the courtyard، the presence of the mosque and other side spaces have been effective on the system of building madrasas. The madrasas of this geography represent a generalization of education through the formation of a semi-public space. The results also indicate that during these three periods, the architecture of schools has moved towards increasing spatial control, strengthening privacy, and a balance between social connection and educational confidentiality.

Defining The Concept of Right to Landscape and the Role of the Islamic jurisprudence rule "La Zarar" in Its Definition

Mehdi Khakzand

Landscape is not merely a place, space, or natural setting; rather, it represents the relationship between human beings and their environment through natural, social, and cultural dimensions. As both a process and a platform for human interaction, it supports life, survival, and quality of life while providing a context for realizing the rights of different groups of people. The concept of the right to landscape has recently emerged at the intersection of human rights and landscape studies. However, despite its broad scope and the diversity of stakeholders involved, this issue has received limited attention in legal documents and academic research, particularly within the socio-cultural and Islamic context of Iran.
This study aims to define the concept of the right to landscape, clarify its dimensions and legal status, and provide a foundation for future legislation through the jurisprudential rule of La Zarar. It addresses the questions of what constitutes the right to landscape and how the rule of La Zarar can contribute to its definition.
The research employs reflective thematic analysis. Data were collected through triangulation, including face-to-face open interviews, content analysis of existing documents and studies, and archival images. Landscape-related events were examined using Strecker’s landscape classification, covering everyday, political, cultural, and natural landscapes. The interviews explored issues such as spatial rights, citizenship rights, spatial requirements, preferences, and deficiencies in the experience of urban landscapes. The data were organized and analyzed using Atlas.ti 8. Thirty-two interviews were conducted with randomly selected participants of different ages and genders until theoretical saturation was achieved. Data analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis procedure, supported by the twenty-question qualitative assessment tool to ensure analytical quality.
The analysis identified four main themes: the right to honor and benefit from cultural rituals, identity, and religion; the right to dignity and quality of life; the right to health and the preservation and maintenance of ecosystems; and the right to equal access, participation, and use of the landscape. The findings confirm the relevance of the La Zarar rule in defining the boundaries of the right to landscape. Clarifying these dimensions and their relationship with latent power structures and local conflicts that shape and reproduce landscapes can contribute to spatial justice and support the protection of beneficiaries’ rights. The study also recommends examining other Islamic jurisprudential rules and Ahadith in future research on the right to landscape.

Reconstructing the Architecture of the Jameh Kabir (Jom’e) Mosque of Tabriz through Historical Documents: From Its Origins to the Qajar Period

Ahad Nejadebrahimi

The Jameh Kabir Mosque of Tabriz is one of Iran’s most significant architectural monuments and has long served as a major religious, political, and social center. Throughout the Ilkhanid, Jalayirid, Turkmen, Safavid, and Qajar periods, it functioned as the principal venue for public proclamations, political events, and religious decrees. Located within the historic citadel and adjacent to the bazaar, the mosque formed the spiritual and economic heart of the city. Historical sources consistently identify it as the Jameh Kabir, a title it retained despite the construction of other monumental mosques in Tabriz, reflecting its enduring historical and cultural importance. During the Safavid and Qajar periods, royal and municipal decrees were inscribed on stone tablets and displayed in the mosque, leaving valuable historical evidence.
Although the exact date of its construction is unknown, historical and architectural evidence suggests that the mosque dates back to the early Islamic centuries. Over time, it experienced repeated destruction, reconstruction, renovation, and expansion due to political changes, earthquakes, and successive building campaigns. These interventions gradually transformed its original structure while incorporating architectural characteristics of different historical periods. This study aims to examine and document the architectural and spatial evolution of the Jameh Kabir Mosque of Tabriz from its earliest formation to the Qajar period. The research is based on the assumption that, despite extensive alterations, significant structural and spatial elements from different periods remain identifiable. By comparing the mosque with contemporary Islamic mosques and architectural traditions, the study reconstructs its historical development. Given the limited scholarly attention to the mosque’s spatial and formal transformations, this research seeks to address an important gap in the literature.
The study adopts a descriptive-analytical methodology based on historical document analysis, field surveys, and comparative studies of similar mosques with preserved structures or reliable historical documentation. This approach enables the reconstruction of the mosque’s architectural configuration across different periods. The findings reveal that the mosque’s present structure is founded on both early Islamic and later architectural phases. Major interventions include the construction of a stucco mihrab during the Ilkhanid period, the northern expansion under the Turkmens, and the replacement of the original dual-dome system with a vault-and-arch covering during the Qajar period. Additional mosques, madrasas, and libraries were gradually incorporated into the complex, transforming it into a larger religious and civic center. The study demonstrates the continuity and adaptability of the Jameh Kabir Mosque of Tabriz and contributes to a better understanding of the evolution of Islamic mosque architecture and architectural reconstruction.

Teaching Methods in the Four Core Courses of Architecture (from an Islamic Perspective)

Samaneh Taghdir

In line with the vision of the New Islamic Civilization and the objectives of the Second Phase of the Islamic Revolution, architectural education should promote an Islamic-Iranian identity through revised curricula and course content while avoiding the imitation or direct translation of foreign educational models. In response to this objective, the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at Iran University of Science and Technology has undertaken initiatives to revise and improve its educational programs by integrating Islamic and Iranian identity into architectural education.
This study proposes strategies for teaching architecture courses through extensive discussions and collaborative studies conducted by faculty members across four major architectural disciplines. The research adopts a logical reasoning approach within a holistic Islamic framework to examine the relationship between Islamic principles and the core subjects of architectural education. Key concepts are analyzed and aligned with Islamic cultural values and the specific context of Iranian architectural education.
The proposed framework is developed through comparative studies of architectural education in Iran and other countries, together with more than 30 hours of expert consultations and specialized workshops organized by the Department of Architecture at Iran University of Science and Technology.
The findings identify several key educational approaches. These include a human-centered design process, a holistic view of architecture that moves from whole to part and from concept to realization within a cause-and-effect framework, and an Islamic perspective that emphasizes integrating Islamic beliefs, values, and laws into architectural design. The framework also highlights the importance of selecting materials and architectural forms according to temporal and spatial contexts while incorporating scientific and empirical knowledge. In addition, it stresses the role of foundational theoretical and engineering courses in preparing students for advanced architectural design.
These approaches seek to strengthen Islamic-Iranian identity in architectural education while evaluating architectural processes and outcomes through Islamic perspectives on aesthetics, philosophy of art, and architectural principles. The proposed educational framework provides a basis for systematically revising architectural curricula and course content and contributes to the broader goal of advancing the New Islamic Civilization through principled and academically grounded architectural education.

Type and typology from the historical evolutionary Perspective of Caniggia

Gholamhosein Memarian

Type and typology are among the most significant theoretical discussions in architecture, attracting the attention of numerous researchers over the past two centuries. This paper focuses on one of the prominent scholars in this field—Gianfranco Caniggia—and explores various definitions of type and typology while examining their intellectual foundations. Although the founder of this school of thought was Saverio Muratori, it was his students who disseminated the ideas of this innovative architect. Caniggia, through the publication of several books during his lifetime, developed a distinctive method for describing and analyzing Muratori’s theoretical concepts, to the extent that some have termed his approach the "Caniggia School."
In this article, drawing on various sources—most of which are in Italian—we present Caniggia’s perspective and endeavor to articulate the theoretical underpinnings of each discussed topic. In the end, it becomes evident that the diverse definitions of type and typology proposed by Caniggia are framed solely within the material-physical dimension, as well as within the context of time, space, and material history.

The Concept of Contextualism in Post-Islamic Iranian Architecture: Rereading Stylistic Developments with the Methodological Use of the Deconstruction Approach

Hadi Farhangdoust

This study aims to develop a multilayered and historically informed interpretation of contextualism in post-Islamic Iranian architecture through a deconstructive reading. Rather than limiting itself to the description of stylistic forms, it investigates the conceptual, semantic, and discursive transformations of the notion of “context” across different architectural styles. Emphasis is placed on extra-architectural correlates in order to critically reinterpret Iranian architectural history and to explore the qualitative and substantive changes in the relationships among elements shaping contextualism. Central to this approach is the recognition of the instability of meaning and the historically constructed nature of architectural concepts.

Within this framework, “context” is no longer understood as a fixed or purely material condition but as a discursive and mutable construct produced through networks of power, language, and culture. Drawing on deconstructive logic, the study challenges essentialist assumptions surrounding concepts such as indigeneity, authenticity, tradition, and the meaning of space. This perspective is particularly relevant because many architectural transformations in Iran have coincided with political, religious, and social discourses that conventional contextualist readings often ignore.

The necessity of the research arises from gaps in contemporary Iranian architectural scholarship, which largely relies on descriptive or reductionist analyses focused on physical characteristics. Such approaches overlook processes of meaning production, the influence of dominant discourses, and the role of institutional power, contributing to imitative architectural practices and theoretical stagnation in education. Deconstruction is therefore employed as an epistemological tool to analyze contextualism as a concept continually redefined across historical periods.

Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative and deconstructive approach grounded in Derrida’s philosophy. Through reading, coding, thematic extraction, reflection, and synthesis, it identifies naturalized binary oppositions—such as tradition–modernity and indigenous–nonindigenous—and reveals their historical fluidity. Architectural styles from Khorasani to contemporary periods are examined through textual and visual sources.

The findings demonstrate that contextualism in Iranian architecture has been shaped differently in each era by power structures, ideological frameworks, and socio-cultural conditions. Ultimately, the research concludes that contextualism cannot be understood as a singular or authentic model but must be approached as a readable and reinterpretable text. This perspective enables more nuanced historical analysis and supports a critical, context-sensitive approach to architectural theory, practice, and education.