International Journal of Advanced Biotechnology and Research (IJBR) ISSN 0976-2612, Online ISSN 2278–599X, Vol-7, Special Issue-Number2-April, 2016, pp282-294 http://www.bipublication.com Research Article The comparison of art and architecture during the Achaemenid and Parthian Alireza abbasi, SohaPourmohammad and BagherKarimi Department of Architecture, Islamic Azad University, Bushehr branch, Iran ABSTRACT Historic buildings of each country contain identity, culture and the results of people who had been living there. Although the golden pages of this notebook is scattered but still some kind of things can be gathered from them which have not mentioned before. In our country, Iran, art and architecture basehas special position, despite many poems, stories and events have investigated Persian poetry and prose, surprisingly Iran’s architecture and art have not been investigated properly and there are still some hidden parts of that, it might be because of archaeologist as researchers not architectures who have worked in this subject, meanwhile it is much more regretful that most of researchers and theorists in this field have been foreign characters and Iranian ones have investigated this issue less in spite of the importance of this subject. The hypothesis of this research is based on that “through investigating and comparing art and architecture of two periods, the solutions and strategies of those periods can be extracted in order to appropriate using in modern designing. Due to this, two periods of Achaemenid and Parthian have been investigated here. The research has been obtained by collecting data out of documentary sources, analysis and comparative analogy and in the end the important features of art and architecture will be extracted in each period and some suggestions will be proposed due to promoting people’s awareness of their ancestors’ heritage in order to use in new plans. Key words: Iran, pre-Islamic art and architecture, Achaemenid, Parthian 1- INTRODUCTION Considering ethnic characteristics, climate, artist with a spiritual personality who is aware of national and religious, originality, strength and his great responsibility for society as well as rigidity, unique characteristics and ethnic aspects history. So he creates an art which is full of and broad and meaningful presence in the context mercy and gracebesides originality and of individual and collective life,Iran’s art and durabilityand despite its beauty, has well- architecture have undoubtedly and excellent established and well-known functions. Iranian position in world’s art and architecture therefore architecture isn’t exceptional as well, an art modeling from that by the artists of other which has divine, religious and spiritual meaning countries or even other cultures and world and concept and has a history of longevity and at famous civilizations not only is believable but least since 500 years up to now, specified also seems obvious because it is an art which samples of this architecture have been widened considers the beauty of content and the incidence on a wide area of Syria to North India and China of expressions of truth and perfection and sides, from the Caucasus to Zanzibar which has a meanwhile is an art for people and its artist is an special variety as well. (Yavari, 2009: 28,29) the The comparison of art and architecture during the Achaemenid and Parthian architecture of Iran has been a valid identity for 2- Achaemenid period the people of this land and climate natural of Iran In about 560 BC that two strong Aryan has affected the cultures which came this country governments that wereMedes and Persians were by conquerors and conquered in this field with its united, Great Iranian Empire was created. This most obvious forms. Customs, rituals, morals, happened when great Cyrus beat his grandfather ethics, thought and belief of generations have Styak (Azhy Hawke) the king of Meds. reflected Iran’s architecture vividly. This Through the attempts of two powerful kings of reflection can be seen not only in huge buildings this dynasty who were Cyrus and then Darius, all but also in small buildings. (Zarei, 2005: 52) art of eastern and western Asia from the Nile to the in Iran is as old as history and architecture is one Oxus and from the Aegean Sea to the Ganges of the oldest ones. Prosperity and advancement of were captured and Iran’s kingdom was organized architecture show that this country has been one as the first great empire of the world and lasted of the most initial centers of urban projects and for two hundred and thirty years with unique engineering and this evident can be confirmed by stability. Royal Road from Sardis the capital of monuments which have been rose among ancient Lydyehto Susa extended with more than 1,600 times with dusty portrait. (Zarei, 2005: 51) miles, with one hundred and twelve waypoints ancient Iranian believed that “Honar” (art) along that for helping caravansand transportation consists of “Ho” and “Nar” and it means “((Good of goods in less than ninety days throughout the man)), ((Good man and good woman)) so its empire and even paving ways of Susa and responsibility is well-being and beauty. (Yavari, Persepolis, and Akbatanh (Hamadan) have been 2009: 12). In this research which has been done small samples of Achaemenes’s civil actions aiming to identify hidden features of Iranian which show brilliant civilization of Iran during architecture, after brief introduction of periods, this period. (Ghirshman, 1992: 120) will investigate the features of art and Iranian art in Achaemenid era is a king art and its architecture through studying remarkable works. destiny has been joined with the destiny of Achaemenid kings and because of that this art reached to the pinnacle of progress in the reign of Cyrus and Darius and then its progress stopped and only ad got a small movement in time of Xerxes and Artaxerxes. (Zarei, 2013: 84) The most important monuments left by this period are the royal palaces, the history of these palaces refers to mid-sixth century BC, So that the architecture of this period follows, its beginning had been from MasjedSoleiman and later at Pasargadae and Persepolis. One of important constructional elements is artificial platform which is back to mountain and on top of that, the buildings of palaces and royal residences were used to be built and stone stairs were used for climb toward platform. (Yavari, 2009:54) 2-1- Art in Achaemenid period In Achaemenid art, neither building statues of Diagram 1: article structure idols remained common nor raising the myriad Alireza abbasi, et al. 283 The comparison of art and architecture during the Achaemenid and Parthian temples in each city.Theyonly left fire temples in has the influence of several effects and the share terms of religious buildings. Royal tombs carved of each one of alien methodsmight be clarified in into the body of vertical cliffs at Pasargadae and it. In another word Pars artworks whether in style Rustampainting and elsewhere, High relief or content has close relationship with artworks of includes images of Forouhar and Zoroastrianism other countries in east societies and can be angels [Mehr or Mithra, Venus or Anahita] and considered following that. (Velayati, 2010: 88) kings and soldiers at the ceremonial and ritual 2-2 city in Achaemenid scene or hunting and fighting over massive cliffs Aryan ethnic was first nomadic ethnic in the or stone walls of palaces and stone sculptures of beginning of Achaemenid governance and the animals such as lion, cows and horses which have created cities were most used for military and been used on the heads of columns as well as agriculture. Achaemenid kings especially great mythical creatures such as winged bulls with Darius who governed a wide territory used to human heads, winged lion with an eagle's head or create strong cities in order to provide the griffin and eagle and numerous inscriptions complete security throughout his empire in engraved in Persian cuneiform can be considered strategic military hotspots that their leftovers still as artistic and cultural works of Achaemenid. In can be seen in Shush, Lydia, Mediterranean, the set of buildings of Takhte-e-Jamshid, semi- Susa, Babylon, Baghdad, Kermanshah Khanaqin high relief in rows on stone wall reminds us the old highway (a part passes Zagros mountain and art of Assyria and Babylon in the tenth and lead the Mesopotamian civilization to Iranian seventh centuries BC. Mentioned reliefs show the Plateau) and finally at the end of this era in the ceremonial procession of courtiers and guards zone of Susa to central and northern Iran that led and "Eternal Soldiers" and tributary of various dominated central government toward Turkistan peoples of Persian Empire who have been dried lands and beyond the Oxus. Ekbatan can be with a formal mode and little movement of hands named as one of the oldest cities where great and legs and side view body. Their bodies are all historians have mentioned it. This city used to be the same and vertical and their clothes are main key of the east and west axis and have molded and faces are devoid of life force but on passed Zagros mountain for a long time and the other hand these very characteristics which expanded the influence of Mesopotamian have been implemented embellishing and stable civilization inside Iran. Around villages, farmers and strength statues row of rhythmic beat used to work at the service of government and reliefand the body and under walls of buildings. governors. Because of no division of labor Subsidiary art of Achaemenid was also complete between town and country, artisans and farmers in terms of technical skill in silver making, used to live either in city or village. enamels, jewelry, wood carvings, cast bronze, (Nilforoushan, 2007: 25) weaving cloth and carpets in a way that Iranian 2-3- architecture in Achaemenid era handworks of artisans and craft workers such as Persians seem to be more affected by other expensive gifts used to be sent to the farthest ethnics and nations by art and culture of Medes places such as side of the Oxus and the land of and Elamites.