While doing research in ISLAMIC art, especially decorative art, we face alphabetic samples that despite the similarity to the overall structure of alphabetic text cannot be read. Although these shapes have been drawn in the frame of alphabet of the text, they do not convey a meaning to be read. These figures, which are similar to the INSCRIPTIONS, have been represented in the present study as quasi-writing. Faced with these examples, what has convinced the audience to accept –,or doubt –,them as writing, is dé, jà,vu and similarity between the examples and the structure of letters in the ISLAMIC alphabet. This research has been conducted with the aim of introducing this category of quasi-literature in the ISLAMIC Arts. As a result, quasi-documents are divided into two groups, and each group includes two smaller divisions. The first group includes the INSCRIPTIONS which are fully covered with Kufic-like quasi-texts. The second group includes INSCRIPTIONS that resemble handwritings. Of these two groups, the second one is more likely to accompany other decorative designs. In many decorative INSCRIPTIONS,the formal and structural elements are entangled together to the extent that their distinction and reading is simply not possible. In the third group, it is possible to identify letters of the ISLAMIC alphabet, though they are not legible. In the fourth group, the inscription is partly readable, inscribed along with the quasi-writings that cannot be read. The purpose of this paper is to introduce and classify this type of quasi-writings in the ISLAMIC art. In this regard, the main two questions are as follows: 1-What are the reasons for depicting quasi-writings among the INSCRIPTIONS? 2-How and within which structure have the quasi-writings been inscribed? To achieve this purpose, methods of visual analysis have been used in terms of the inscription samples of the ISLAMIC PERIOD. The statistical population and samples have been chosen from the wide array of INSCRIPTIONS of ISLAMIC art. The use of writing in the ISLAMIC arts, except to save and record the entries and text-based documents, which are associated to knowledge and information, could have been developed due to a different reason that has been more associated with decorative aspects (that could also be called the motif-centered texts). This type of texts that may fall in the framework of INSCRIPTIONS is seen in much of the ISLAMIC crafts and was mostly provided as ornamentation. This extensive field may include tombstones to clothing and carpets. Numerous examples of these products in the early ISLAMIC PERIODs testify to the application of texts as ornamentations. Messages on INSCRIPTIONS should be considered as having an important function, but decorative function of INSCRIPTIONS should be regarded as a more important one. It is not in vain to say that inscription or writing may well be expected as another category of decorations along with geometric and arabesque decorations in ISLAMIC art. As well as the decorative INSCRIPTIONS, there are writings –,or in a sense quasi-writings –,that are not legible. This ineligibility is not because of scrambled handwriting, overflow and compactness of writing elements, etc, in fact these quasi-writing signs have not been drawn to be read, since they have not been formed based on rules of ISLAMIC scripts, but due to their general resemblance to the form of the ISLAMIC alphabet, or a style of writing, they look like writing. This similarity is underlined by compliance with the structure of ISLAMIC alphabet, vicinity to other decorative systems, compliance with a specific base line and of course the topic of dé, jà,vu. Fantasy or orientation on familiar topics like literature, perhaps physical structure and visual perception error may be considered among the main reasons for it. In fact, ambiguity with textual similarities leads to an illusion in the eye. This ambiguity has been a means that for certain purposes –,which will be referred to –,has helped the artists. Because ambiguity is a tool and phenomenon of comprehension institutionally and essentially, and scientists fight error, while artists welcome ambiguity. . . in this perception, a type of unrealistic comprehension replaces the real comprehension. The succeeding view of comprehension is perception of objects which occur to our minds through inference which signs have been entrusted to our memories. Comprehension is something that is focused on due to deviation and digression from the truth. It is necessary to systematically deviate from the norm. In fact, similarity of decorative writings with what which is not in fact writing (and only deemed as writing because of its similarity to ISLAMIC alphabet) has lead to creation of types of decoration, especially in ISLAMIC handicrafts.

Entrance INSCRIPTIONS of lodging were rooted in people religious beliefs and represented identity and character of makers and owners of lodging. More remaining lodging of Qajar have decorations and INSCRIPTIONS on their front pieces. These INSCRIPTIONS enjoyed special beauty and all of them have special grace. They were not only applied in make urban spaces beautiful but also answer spiritual needs of people and show the increasing importance of them. Today INSCRIPTIONS are very simple and there are less aesthetics and propound only religious aspects.In Qajar and the first part of Pahlavi PERIOD with more tenden to use the 1th whit coming style and excited sentiments imprinted the symbols and sign of ancient Persia in front lodging.In the second part of Pahlavi PERIOD by useing international style entry façade went to simplicity and took them locality by decorative stone and cement and the factor of removing decoration in this style carsed to waste inscription. In ISLAMIC revolution PERIOD tried revive this art and in this research recommended several paragon retain entry front INSCRIPTIONS.

Sols calligraphy is one of the important kinds of calligraphy in Iranian and ISLAMIC Art. This hand writing is drived from Kufic character. Ibn Moqleh, Ibn Bawab and Yaqut had a great Role in emergence, Completion and regulating its Structure and motion Features of Suls Calligraphy writing, have givena hage abilit to it, in vertical and horizontal ax is like letter and inversted form of letter (s) along with complicated composition, with the help of turning different letters. This writing has a steady, firm and solid state and has good Compability with epigraphy. Epigeraphy is started along with Suls writing from the era of Ilkhanidsup to now. Teimorid era is high point and peak of Suls writing.Qajar PERIOD is subsiding point of Suls from the view point of figures, elements and letters power but even so, from the point of creation, Colors diversity and freshness less paralleled effects have been come into existence but as a whole, in Qajar PERIOD importance of Suls writing has been decreased but Nastaliq writing has been remarkably developed. Suls INSCRIPTIONS of Safavid PERIOD have a good solidity from the point of different materials and performance. Because of numerous buildings, Suls Calligraphy has a great amount of development, and honored artists like Alireza abbasi have done a lot in this way. in a descriptive and analytic way, In present article Our to diversity and numerousness of Inscription works, we are going to deal with Technical specifications and difference of Suls writing on outstanding buildings as Jamee mosque.

Muslim Arabs entered Iran in the seventh century (A.D.) with their victory over Sasanian Empire. During the first few centuries, the sociocultural condition in Iran was naturally influenced by the changes which had been occurred in the political scene. This influence was the result of the encounter of two distinct social regimes which had different cultural values and traditions. According to historians, the so-called Iranian-ISLAMIC civilization has been formed in the third century (10th c. A.D.). Two centuries of encounter between the two different socio-cultural regimes resulted in the cultural integration of the regimes, and finally formed a new framework.Although the new cultural configuration was based on ISLAMIC values, many of its . components had Iranian origin. The most important issue in the first few centuries - mostly called as the "Transition PERIOD" - was this fact that Iranians had tendency towards Islam and it attracted them. By analyzing the initial reaction of Iranian society in confrontation with Arabs and Islam, the present article tries to reach a comprehensive and better understanding of the growth and development of ISLAMIC culture in Iran.

A wide range of INSCRIPTIONS of the Safavid carpets can be found in the altar carpets which contain religious themes. In addition, there are many carpets that have woven themes moving from religious texts to the mystical and lyrical poems and have often been associated with the change of calligraphy font from Sols to Nastaliq. Therefore, the question of this research is: when did the INSCRIPTIONS of Nastaliq enter the Persian carpets design and what were the common themes used in it? The data for this research is collected using library resources and a descriptive, exploratory, and analytical method of research is implemented. For this purpose, all available samples have been studied. The results of the study of 49 Nastaliq INSCRIPTIONS on Safavid carpets indicate that the Nastaliq font has been used in the design of the Safavid carpets since the middle of the tenth century (AH). This has been accompanied by the introduction of a large number of non-religious poems, all of which are Persian poetry.

Sacred places have constantly existed within every culture and religion; places significant for both the common and superior. One of the features of such sacred places is their ornamentation that has created an arena for artists to express their inventive works. One should note that works of art find value within the walls of such places. The preservation of sacred places will grant antiquity to art, moreover, artists of a religious perspective will gain spiritual Significance.The shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad is a sacred place where Shi'ah Iranians pay homage to their Imam and regard the shrine as a priceless religious assessment. Likewise, Shi'ah artists relentlessly felt honored to place their works of art in the shrine and decorate this holy place of pilgrimage with ISLAMIC ornamentation.Many poets have written many eulogies regarding Imam Reza; their poems are applied on INSCRIPTIONS or on the walls of porches and courtyards. Saboori, a poet who lived in the early twentieth century, was named the poet laureate of the Astan-e Ghods Razavi (the holy threshold of Imam Reza) and the lines of his famous ode can be depicted on the dados in the porch of Dar-al Siadeh. The contemporary calligrapher Ahmad Zanjani, one of the famous artists of his age, has created his masterpiece of two INSCRIPTIONS located on the angles of the mausoleum.This paper initiates with a brief introduction on the history of the shrine of Imam Reza and continues with analyzing the artwork of the calligraphers applied in the shrine. The main purpose of this paper is considering the role of the holy shrine in magnetizing artistic elites.The collaboration of this article was achieved via library and documentary research; complied via observation and analysis.Questions answered throughout the article:What are the concepts applied in the poetic verses of the holy shrine?What is the Significance of the shrine in influencing poets and artistic elites?

This study considers the implication of “Night” in two PERIODs: pre ISLAMIC and ISLAMIC PERIOD. So to study the meaning and implication of “Night” in pre ISLAMIC PERIOD, we considered the poem of poets of this PERIOD, as the only written documents of Ignorance PERIOD. To consider its meaning in ISLAMIC PERIOD, we referred to some verses of holy Koran as the strongest text. At the end, a short analyzing about meaning of “Night” in these two PERIODs, have been done.

In the architecture of Iranian traditional houses, the ornamentations available in the INSCRIPTIONS of houses entrance portal express the identity of architects and personality of houses owners and are rooted in their religious and national beliefs and faiths. The main hypothesis of this research is changing the physique and application of religious contents in compliance with the thoughts and beliefs of people in Dezfoul historical city in the epigraphs of houses entrance portals. The objective of this study is reviewing the development trend of texts, concepts and physique of INSCRIPTIONS as well as analyzing the factors effective on the quality and diversity of application of INSCRIPTIONS. The present research is an applied study and descriptive-analytical method has been applied, and the data was collected by library and survey studies. The population of this research includes historical houses, houses damages in war (Iran & Iraq) and renovated and new tissue and new-built houses of Dezfoul, from Qajar era so far. Random sampling method has been applied in this study and dispersal area includes the city. Data analysis method in this study is qualitative and quantitative. The results of this study indicate that today the INSCRIPTIONS available in the entrance portal of houses in Dezfoul comparing to INSCRIPTIONS in Qajar1 and Pahlavi2 era is very simple and has lower aesthetic value. One of causes for such superficial and contextual gap between INSCRIPTIONS seems to be the war and renovations during and after destruction.

Background and Objectives: The history of architecture is multifaceted, requiring analysis of various aspects, including the architect and their role across different PERIODs. The Safavid era, marked by significant transformations, is a pivotal PERIOD in Iranian architectural history. During this time, a form of art history emerged, centered around the names of artists. The heightened attention given to artists in Safavid writings raises the question: How is this reflected in the works of architects? A prominent manifestation of this trend is found in INSCRIPTIONS bearing the names of architects, which serve as a platform to showcase their elevated status as artists. This research aims to examine the status of Safavid architects through the lens of their visual representation in INSCRIPTIONS, focusing on those that include the names of the architects themselves. A qualitative content analysis methodology will be employed, with data collected through documentary methods. By comparing the presence of architects’ names in Safavid INSCRIPTIONS to earlier PERIODs, significant changes in their placement and content will be explored. These changes encompass the manner in which architects are named, the types of attributes ascribed to them, and the inclusion of the names of royal patrons and government officials. These substantial shifts in the studied samples indicate an enhanced status of architects, mirroring the concurrent emergence of art historiography and a heightened focus on artists in written works. Methodes: This research employs a qualitative approach, with data gathered through documentary methods and analyzed using content analysis techniques. Initially, by examining INSCRIPTIONS containing architects’ names from the pre-Safavid PERIOD, their general characteristics are identified, and a notable example is analyzed in detail. Subsequently, by analyzing Safavid INSCRIPTIONS, changes in these characteristics are revealed, enabling a comparison with the earlier PERIOD. This comparison facilitates an interpretation of the increased status of the architect as an artist, as manifested in these INSCRIPTIONS. Due to the abundance of Safavid buildings, a sampling method was employed, drawing from two primary sources: A comprehensive list of ISLAMIC PERIOD buildings across Iran (Haji-Qassemi, K. 2015); A focused selection of buildings from Isfahan, given its significance during the Safavid era (Honarfar, L. 1971). Ultimately, 22 buildings with diverse functions and locations were identified as possessing INSCRIPTIONS bearing the architects’ names, forming the statistical population for this study. Findings: The analysis reveals that in ISLAMIC INSCRIPTIONS from the pre-Safavid PERIOD in Iran, architects’ names were typically mentioned at the end of foundation INSCRIPTIONS or in separate frames, often using the term “Amal” (work of) (Blair, S. 1998; Blair, S. S. 2015). Additionally, certain attributes indicating the profession or expressing humility were employed (Blair, S.1998). A notable example is the inscription of Qavam al-Din in the Goharshad Mosque (Babaie, S.2017), which is located separately at the bottom of the qibla iwan and accompanied by the term “Amal”, humility-indicating attributes, and the word “Tiyan” (builder or mason) (Dehkhoda, A.1994), without mentioning the name of the king or governmental patrons. In contrast to the Timurid PERIOD, where INSCRIPTIONS primarily adorned buildings with limited functions, the Safavid era witnessed a diversity in the types of buildings bearing INSCRIPTIONS (Khosravi Bizhaem, F. 2017). The information for the samples in this study was obtained from (Honarfar, L. 1971; Babaie, S.2017; Khosravi Bizhaem, F. 2017; Eghtedari, A.1974; Javadi, S. 2008; Hoseyny, S. H.; Zarei, H., & Razani, M. 2020; Sharahi, E. 2013; Faiz Qomi, A. 1971; Karimi, B.1948; Grayeli, F.1995; Maherolnaqs, M. 1997; Mokhlesi, M. A. 1990; Mashkuti, N. 1966). The architects’ names in these samples are inscribed either separately or as a continuation of another inscription, with the texts presented in both Arabic and Persian, and some in poetic form. Regarding placement, the architects’ names are situated in various parts of the buildings. The entrance has emerged as the most common location, with over half of the examples featuring the architect’s name prominently displayed at the main entrance. In nearly half of these cases, the architect’s name is found on the main inscription of the entrance portal or separately below, above, or at the end of it. The prevalence of such INSCRIPTIONS in significant locations like the entrance portal, compared to earlier PERIODs and the example of Qavam al-Din’s inscription, signifies a shift in the status of architects. In other instances, architects’ names are generally located in important areas of the building. Three key points emerge from the analysis of inscription content. First, while the term “Amal” is still used in half of the examples, there is greater diversity in how architects are named compared to earlier PERIODs. Second, some architects’ names are accompanied by new types of attributes that signify an elevated status. Third, in three-quarters of the examples, the architects’ names are inscribed alongside or near the names of kings, governmental patrons, or both. Conclusion The analysis of INSCRIPTIONS containing architects’ names in the studied Safavid samples reveals significant changes compared to earlier PERIODs. These changes encompass both the placement and content of INSCRIPTIONS. Approximately half of the INSCRIPTIONS are situated in prominent locations, such as entrance portals, while the content of these INSCRIPTIONS exhibits variations in the naming of architects and the types of attributes used to describe them. Notably, new attributes have emerged that signify an elevated status for architects. Furthermore, three-quarters of these INSCRIPTIONS are placed alongside or near the names of kings or governmental patrons. The Masjid-e Jameh Abbasi and the Ali Mosque in Isfahan exemplify these changes, with architects’ names inscribed at the entrance portal, accompanied by attributes that indicate prestige and placed alongside the names of the Safavid king and governmental patron.