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 Isfahan

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digital graphic

IAA707919

funerary

tomb

Iran

This octagonal tomb was erected in Takht-i Fulad, the old cemetery of Isfahan, for a theologian of the second half of the seventeenth century, Mirza Rafi’a Naini. The dome is covered with tiles in intricate geometric designs. Sources: Hunarfar, Lotfollah. 1965. Gangine-ye Asar-e Tarikhi-ye Isfahan. Isfahan: Saghafi, 631-633.

Import

mausoleums

tombs

religious architecture

domes

tile

cemeteries

brick

adobe

mosaic

Marie-Thérèse Ullens de Schooten

Isfahan City and Environs (Ullens Collection)

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35 mm color slide

IMG28904

Tomb of Mirza Rafi'a

Takht-i Fulad Complex

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B & W print

IMG08793

Tekiyeh Mirza Rafi'a

Transliterated

Tekie Mirza Rafi'a

Variant

See <a href="https://www.archnet.org/collections/2370" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Timeline: Safavid</a> Dynasty of Kurdish origin which ruled Iran during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries/eleventh and twelve centuries AH &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Although the founder of the dynasty was probably a Sunni, the Safavids later became Shi'a and adopted this as a state religion. Little remains of the early architecture of the Safavids who established capitals first at Tabriz and later at Qazvin. The little that does survive indicates that they continued the architectural forms established by their predecessors the Timurids. Thus the Safavids continued to use the complex vaulting forms, with networks of arches, squinches and pendentives, developed under the Timurids. An early example of a Safavid building is the tomb of Harun-i Vilayat which although Timurid in form has an emphasis on exterior tile decoration. This was a feature which was developed in later Saffavid architecture where the architectural form seems to be subordinated to the tile patterns. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The most productive period of Safavid architecture began in 1598/1006 AH with Shah Tahmasp's decision to redesign Isfahan as an imperial capital. The centre of the new developments was the Maidan-i-Shah which is a rectangular square or park around which was built the palace, the principal mosques and the principal bazar of the city. The main characteristics of this architecture was the layout and planning with the mosques built at a deliberate angle to the maidan to show off both their monumental portals (pishtaq iwans) and their glazed domes. Similarly the main gate of the palace, the Ali Qapu, was made into a pavilion overlooking the Maidan-i-Shah from which the shah's palace could be seen. The emphasis on accessibility is also demonstrated in the tomb complexes, where the outside faces are pierced with arches instead of forbidding walls. This is also seen on utilitarian structures such as the famous Pol-i-Khaju bridge built in 1650/1059 AH. This bridge, which links Isfahan to the southern palace, is 110 m long and has two tiers of arcades which provide shelter from the summer heat. Another characteristic of the architecture is the use of lighter materials such as wood, stucco, paint and tiles, and an increasing emphasis on gardens. However, this may appear to be a development simply because earlier structures of this type have not survived.&nbsp;Outside Isfahan buildings such as caravanserais are generally larger and plainer than their predecessors indicating the growth of commercial traffic. Petersen, Andrew.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archnet.org/collections/126" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dictionary of Islamic Architecture</a>.&nbsp;London and New York: Routledge, 1999.

Tomb of Mirza Rafi'a
Isfahan, Iran

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Tomb of Mirza Rafi'a
Isfahan, Iran

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Tomb of Mirza Rafi'aIsfahan, Iran

Location

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Tomb of Mirza Rafi'aIsfahan, Iran

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Tomb of Mirza Rafi'a
Isfahan, Iran

Tomb of Mirza Rafi'a
Isfahan, Iran