April 3, 2021 Global registration has globally registered 11 cities and three villages under their native handicrafts during past six years, making the country a world leader in 5 registering local productions, IRNA reported. Iranica Asef Vaziri mansion, Eram Garden: Treasure trove of art tourist attraction in western Iran Asef Vaziri mansion, also called the Asef Vaziri mansion consists of four Kurdish House. is one of the attractive external yards, internal residence, wa- and historical monuments in Sanandaj, ter distribution chamber and servant’s in the western province of Kurdestan. place. Located in the city center, the house The mansion was built in line with lo- in Iran’s is one of the most ancient buildings in cal architecture style. Sanandaj dating back to the Safavid Mo’tamed Hashemiha’s family era, IRNA wrote. (Amjad-ol-Ashraf) is known as the first The mansion was registered in the founder of the building and probably list of Iran National Heritage List, and Mirza Mohammad Reza Vaziri (Asif it has been managed by Iran’s Cultural Divan’s father) has owned it. Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Or- During Asef Divan period, the edi- ganization since 1997. fice gained its final magnificent by con- Its construction is divided into four structing the entrance (with a brick fa- parts. Different sections were added to the cade on the Iranian Baroque style) and building in different eras, itto.org wrote. eastern and western parts.

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ram Garden is a magnificent and historical garden lo- cated in Iran’s southern city of Shiraz in . E Eram Garden is a one-of-a-kind historical site regis- tered in the list of the UNESCO World Heritage in 2011, Tasnim News Agency wrote. itto.org The complex includes some great artistic and historical monu- ments and botanical gardens. Among the trees in the garden is a tall cypress which is notice- able from a long distance. This tree is called “Sarv-e Naz” (Elegant Cypress) because of its unique features. Historians estimate that this cypress is a thou- sand years old. The mansion of the garden dates back to the Qajar Dynasty era, and the tilework on the front part of the central porch and around it is among the most interesting works of art in the Qajar period. Mohammad Qoli Khan Qajar ordered the construction of the original mansion that stood on the grounds in the early 18th cen- tury, and planted various trees and plants in the garden including

pine, orange, cypress and persimmon trees. Seyed Mosleh Pirkhezranian/IRNA ALIREZA AMERI/TASNIM NEWS AGENCY A view of Asef Vaziri mansion in Sanandaj, Kurdestan Province, Iran, on March 31, 2021

By: Mojtaba Rezayi A glance at Iranian art and architecture The art of each society is created within its philosophical, cultural, and religious con- text and in conformity with its historical, social, and geographical conditions. There- as ivans (verandas), domed chambers, and the Iranian courtyard, as well as some fore, in order to conduct research into and theorize on the fields of art and architecture, more advanced structures such as various types of two- and three-centered arch- thinkers and researchers need to explore an extremely vast realm of knowledge. Such es, domes, and pendentives [a curved triangle of vaulting formed by the intersec- endeavors necessitate the presence of some philosophical and epistemological con- tion of a dome with its supporting arches] and squinches [a straight or arched texts, cultural and social backgrounds, and a systematic methodology for utilizing the structure across an interior angle of a square tower to carry a superstructure such sources and documents that society and art and cultural institutes and centers provide as a dome]. for thinkers and researchers. There are also some particular uses of space, such as gardens, and the employment A nation’s art represents the quality of its thoughts, worldviews, beliefs, and tradi- of certain concepts with different definitions, including geometrical ornaments, intro- tions. As one of the most important features of the emergence of cultures and civiliza- version, extroversion, design patterns, etc. Generally speaking, can tions, art plays a fundamental role in the development or destruction and deviation of be categorized into the following seven classes or styles: human societies. It also enjoys a particular place in people’s everyday and cultural in- teractions. If the cultural bases of a nation are solid and enjoy firm and deep roots, their 1- The Parsian style (from the eighth century B.C. to the fourth century B.C.) includ- artistic manifestations will also remain immune to undesirable changes and disintegra- ing the Pre-Parsian, Median, and Achaemenid styles. tions in the history of their development. 2- The Parthian style (from the fourth century B.C. until the rise of Islam) dominant In order to embark on a discussion of Iranian art, we should first refer to the art of during the Seleucid, Parthian (Arsacid), and Sassanid eras. pottery which, according to archeological excavations, dates back to the eighth millen- 3- The Khorasani style (from the late 7th century until the end of the 10th century nium B.C. Pottery was the common art and industry of indigenous groups of various A.D.) dominant during the reign of the Saffarid, Tahirid, and Ghaznavid dynasties. regions in Iran, such as Lorestan, the south of the Caspian Sea, Azarbaijan, Kerman, 4- The Razi style (from the 11th century A.D. to the Mongol invasion period) including and Sistan and Baluchestan. Moreover, according to Xenophon’s reference to Iranian the methods and devices of the Samanid, Seljukid, Khwarizmi, and Ziyarid periods. carpets or other woven floor coverings, the art of carpet and rug weaving also existed in the first millennium B.C. en.iranology.ir Iranian architecture also enjoys a special place in the world. From among its mag- lowered yards, hashtis (vestibules), and belvederes or pavilions surrounding shabes- nificent features, we can refer to high ivans (verandas), building designs in conformity tans (sanctuaries), have been parts of Iranian architectural logic since long ago. to climatic and regional characteristics, tall columns, roof shapes, accurate dimensions, The most ancient example of early structures and buildings in our country is the and various decorations and ornaments. Archeological investigations and excavations Elamite Temple in Khuzestan. This splendid house of worship, which indicate that the history of architecture in Iran dates back to the seventh millennium was built around 1250 B.C., is an extremely magnificent example of a developed form B.C. of architecture. This temple, which is built in the form of a square, consists of five Since then, this art has been expanding and developing under the influence of floors, each with a smaller area compared to its lower floor, resulting in its pyramidal various factors, particularly religious ones. Undoubtedly, architecture is one of the structure. The main center of the temple is constructed on the first floor, and the other most revealing manifestations of each nation and the best narrator of each coun- floors functioned as dependent facilities in the past. The main construction materials try’s encounter with life’s problems and its people’s insight concerning the world of the temple included high quality baked bricks bound by means of hard mortar. Sun- of creation. dried bricks were also used inside the walls and in places where it was necessary to fill Iranian architecture also enjoys certain unique characteristics in some areas, the platforms of the structure. What is of prime importance regarding this spectacular which has resulted in the introduction of a number of innovations to the world temple is its several barrel-vaults, which have been made so skillfully that they still of architecture. In this regard, we can refer to specific spatial arrangements such stand amazingly intact 3,000 years after their construction. These arches, which are built on long corridors and on the top of the internal stairs of the temple, attest to the great level of advancement of the construction industry and architecture at such ancient periods in our country. In sum, this huge temple, which is considered to be one of the greatest Ziggurats of the world, is the best example in the ancient world of an architec- en.iranology.ir tural artistic work constructed on a vault foundation. What is technically viewed as the foundation of traditional buildings and marks their 5- The Azari style (from the late 13th century to the rise of the Safavid Dynasty in the method of construction is the surmounting of arches on walls or other load-bearing 16th century A.D.) dominant during the Timurid and dynasties. structures. Here, one of the most important reasons for erecting certain structures such 6- The Isfahani style (starting from the 16th century A.D. until the middle of the Qa- as walls, piers, and columns is to provide a foundation for arches and not merely to bear jarid period in the 19th century A.D.). the weight of the building’s roof. 7- Contemporary style (from the middle of the Qajarid period onwards) including The Qajar period must be considered the era of the annihilation of the Isfahani archi- the approaches used in the Pahlavi era and the period after the Islamic Revolution in tectural style, in particular, and of the Iranian style in general. During this period, the 1978 A.D. beauty and subtlety of the Safavid architecture (Isfahani style) were replaced by some From among the first six Iranian architectural styles, the Parsian and Parthian styles hurried and haphazard movements in architectural ornamentation and planning. belong to the Pre-Islamic period while the last four belong to the Islamic era. Western The instability of the central government, the introduction of western civilization, scholars use some other terms to refer to Islamic styles, such as the Umayyad and Ab- the surrender of the East, and the influence of the imported culture during the Qajar basid styles. period destroyed what had been left from the native civilization and washed away ev- In Iranian architecture, despite the existence of certain features such as the symme- erything like a devastating flood. Unfortunately, this process was also accelerated by try and beauty of frontpieces, domes, and ivans, the characteristic that deserves to be the speed of modernization in the whole world. explored more than others is the jewel of Iranian architecture, namely its mathemati- en.iranology.ir cal and gnostic logic. Iranian architects’ introversion and interest in courtyards, patios, Source: Iranology Foundation