Latest Trends on Cultural Heritage and Tourism Architectural Analyses of Wooden Chehelsotun (40 columns) of Molla Rostam and Moezzeddin Mosques in Maragheh and Their Effects on Chehelsotun Palace and Aali Qaapou in Isfahan ¹NEGAR KHAIYAT KOLKARI, ²ELNAZ ASHRAFI, ³FARROKH ABDOLLAHZADEH BINA, 4MAJID YAZDANI ¹,²,4 Department of Architecture 3Department of Civil Engineering ¹Islamic Azad University-Bostan Abad Branch, ²Islamic Azad University-Khamneh Branch ³Islamic Azad University-Ahar Branch, 4Islamic Azad University-Azarshahr Branch IRAN ¹[email protected], ²[email protected], ³[email protected], [email protected] Abstract: - The two mosques of Molla Rostam and Moezzeddin in Maragheh which belong to early years of Safavid Dynasty have important place among wooden architectural works of Iran not only for their old age but also for traditional masonry materials used in them and for the work done on them and art used in their creation as well. Wooden Chehelsotun (Forty Columns) of these mosques with their glorious and valuable decorations are among the first and well-known wooden veranda models of Safavid times it means Chehelsotun Palace and Aali Qaapou. Chehelsotun bedchambers such as Meidan and Mehrabad Mosques are built in Bonab after them. Original architectural space of these two mosques with their structural considerations and masonry materials such as grinder, shim/shingle and lost beam beside beautiful decoration of columns and dome interior in wooden head columns are collection of higher wood art elements, painting on wood and tens of practical arts of Islamic architecture and are analyzed from local, decoration, masonry systems and structural architecture technology points of view. Key-Words: - Wooden Column, Ornament, Cultural Heritage, Islamic Architecture, Sustainability 1 Introduction After migrating to western south of Iran (Fars, Even though, mosque construction has reached to a Khuzestan and borders Persian gulf) they have considerable perfection in Mongol time no imitation of constructed glorious buildings of Shush, Pasargadae and the present mosques is not seen in the constructions due Takht-e-Jamshid, which were all affected by this type of to the richness of architecture in this region. However, architecture. This style became to be known as “Persian understanding the purity, architectural spaces and their style”. Once again, by the attack of Mongols to Iran and independence of the form elements value these mosques selecting Maragheh as their capital, the Azeri style the same as the other important mosques of the city. emerged and valuable architectural phenomenon came During the civilized and cultured times of Safavid into being. In Safavid times, again, this effect continued dynasty and contemporary with the times of Tahmasb I and verandas of wooden Chehelsotun (Forty Columns) Safavid King (1499-1564 A.D.) considerable numbers of of Azerbaijan came to be modelled after a century and it mosques with pillared Shabestan and special decorations was an introduction to formation of “Isfahanid style”. were constructed in most of the cities and villages of the “After residing in Maragheh (1259 A.D.), Holako East Azerbaijan in Iran especially in Bonab and called for the artists and architects of Kerman, Yazd and Maragheh towns. At later periods especially at the times Shiraz cities to the capital to construct his desired of Zandiyeh and Ghajar Dynasties, these buildings were buildings. Therefore, Iranian architecture revived and repaired, restored, copied or reconstructed based on their after social, political and economical changes of the primary principles. time, Azeri style emerged from Maragheh through combining Raazi style with style of the southern cities of Azerbaijan. This style, under the name of Mongolia style, went is way through Tabriz and Soltaniyeh and 2 An Outlook on Traditional penetrated in whole country and foreign countries while Architecture Style of Azarbaijan making progresses” says professor Pirniya [1]. According to the knowledgeable experts, Aryaie and Regarding characteristics of Azeri style, the Persian nations (one of the three branches of Aryaie researchers have some common and similar views that nation) have been resided in Azerbaijan region for a are most important and outstanding parts include: grace while and are affected by their traditional architecture. of building elements and emphasis on glory and ISSN: 1792-4308 215 ISBN: 978-960-474-205-9 Latest Trends on Cultural Heritage and Tourism reflection of height and more verticality in the building. follows: a) the cold weather of Azerbaijan; where the Azeri style is one of the well-known Iranian – Islamic rather higher amount of rain and snow would make the styles and has been the base and model of “Isfahanid moisture to penetrate into building and seriously damage style”. Among its characteristics we can mention the it. b) In addition to natural prevention of the penetration followings: wooden pillar saloon, hideaway, surrounded of moisture, through using this method less cold would Shabestan, porch summer house, wooden flat roof, and enter the Shabestan during the winter due to its being thick mud or brick walls with stone plinth, cellar and built higher than the ground. c) The level of vault.” underground waters is very high in Azerbaijan area After passing the Ghafghaz Mountain, the Aryaies especially in Bonab and Maragheh towns, therefore the resided in west north of Iran (present Azerbaijan) and high amount of moisture together with other factor and approbated Azerbaijan wooden “vernada”s and took it as scarceness of water makes the building more vulnerable. a valuable present to their lands, Pars. Then, they mixed This method practically prevents from this function and it with architectural styles and other elements and the “capillarity property of water”. natural masonry and beside their wealth and social- political power created the new “Pars style”. The main 3.3 Buttresses and Brick and Adobe Walls elements of Pasargadae, Shush, Takht-e-Jamshid, The brick walls of these mosques are of fired brick with Soleyman Mosque architectural complexes and rocks of around one meter thickness in foursquare shape of Achaemenid tomb of Naghsh-e-Rostam with vaulted 17*17 centimeters dimensions. The height of these paintings of the pillar porches – include pillar saloons, buttresses is around 4.5 – 5 meters. In some mosques wooden flat roofs constructed on a jungle of pillars on such as kaboud Mosque and Meydane Bonab Mosque natural or artificial rows. one compound brick and adobe wall is used; as the outer As the Persian took the wooden veranda style of side of is of foursquare fried brick and the internal layer Azerbaijan and reconstructed it in their land, the Safavid is of adobe layers. In such as case the half-baked internal kings, after a century, took the veranda styles especially layer would be thicker than the outer layer and most of those in Maragheh and Bonab towns. They revived them the load of the flat roof of the mosque would fall on this in their capital cities (Isfahan, Ghazvin) and Caspian sea part. Therefore, to overcome vertical and horizontal borders and used it in the porches of their newly built drifting pressure, weight of the dead load imposed on palaces (such as: Ghazvin, Isfahan Chehelsotun (Forty this part and to compensate natural weakness of adobe Columns), Aali Qaapou and Hasht Behesht of Isfahan) masonry, the walls were made thicker and a row of brick and added considerable glory and decoration to their wall constructed beside it. In such a way, this deficiency buildings [2]. would be overcome by these additions and a good façade would be made for the building. The outer façade of these mosques are rather simple and their decoration 3 Structure is limited to light and shade of the stretcher bond and Regarding anatomy and studying the constructions, horizontal bricks together with Spars, vaults, arches and artistic decorations on woods and the elements of a zigzag lancets inside the Naghoul, rectangular building or buildings in general, the factors to lead us to frameworks in simple masonry bond texture and in some recognize the similarity and symmetry of these buildings cases clinkers or azure tiles are used in these mosques. to each other are as follows: The internal parts of the Shabestan walls plaster of clay and straw are used and white plasterwork is used to 3.1 Foundation cover them, besides a layer of plastic paint is added to The foundation of these mosques are placed 1.5 meters all these covers. In fact from the outer side to inner side down the street level, their thickness being 1.5 – 1.7 the layers of the walls consists of the followings: red meters. The building masonry used in them consists of: brick, molded adobe or layer adobe, clay and straw, spalls, cobblestone, mortar, lime mortar, sand and white plaster and a modern layer of plastic paint. probably cement grout. 3.4 Wood Elements as the Main Construction 3.2 Stone Footing Course in Architecture and Decoration of Pillared The structure of these mosques is built on a stone Mosques of Azerbaijan footing course or a pace formation 1.5 m higher than the Main elements of construction in this field include: foundation and at the same level of ground or the street foundation, plinth, brick buttresses or adobe, pillars, floor of the surrounding alleys. The thickness of this plane and built up wood roofs. structure is 1.5 meters. Different technical and In such a construction, the foundation and skeleton of environmental reasons to create such a building are as the building are constructed with masonry and durable ISSN: 1792-4308 216 ISBN: 978-960-474-205-9 Latest Trends on Cultural Heritage and Tourism structures, but the pillars and the cover of flat roofs are One should see the head pillars and moldings of this of wood in different shapes, and types. In fact, wood mosque.” plays the role of main element.