Rereading Jameh Mosque of Isfahan’s Patterns in the Safavid Era from the Fundamentals of Visual Arts Point of View

Since during the Islamic era art had achieved its place among the kings and monarchs, numerous artists practiced various arts in the court. However, since no iconography was used in the Islamic decorations, the artists replaced it with geometric and arabesque patterns creatively. Moreover, these patterns have been used in book designing, carpet weaving, textile industry, and crockery ware along with the ornamentations of Islamic monuments. Nevertheless, in the Islamic era architecture has been more focused due to its substantial importance and more diverse patterns can be found in the religious and non-religious monuments of the era. Among all Islamic periods, the Safavid era is one of the most significant ones in using patterns to decorate Islamic monuments. Kings of the Safavid dynasty, especially King Solomon, King Tahmasb, and King Abbas, attempted to build, develop and decorate numerous monuments and Isfahan has been the center of attention due to its being the capital of the kingdom. Among the Safavid monuments, the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan is plain in structure, and in this period the tiling ornamentations used in different parts of this monument, including a tablet in the terminal cornice of southern veranda, the western altar in the south side of Saheb’s stone bench, the altar beneath Nezam-al- Molk’s dome, the altar in the south side of the western veranda, the font belonged to King Safi in the northern veranda and the altar in the eastern bedchamber of Nezam-al-Molk’s dome, added to its beauty. These ornaments include geometric and written patterns in the form of brick and stucco ornamentations in combination with Kufic and Thuluth script in a turquoise background. Although there are patterns among the scripts, they are highly independent and it proves the presence of a fundamental scientific framework in these patterns. Consequently, many historians call this monument the museum of art and architecture or the encyclopedia of art and architecture signifying the importance of this beautiful complex. Emphasizing the significance of the Islamic-Iranian patterns, it is endeavored to demonstrate that the patterns (the case of the Safavid patterns in Isfahan’s Jameh Mosque in particular) can become a foundation for the decorative arts in Iran's contemporary graphics arranging them in a unified and cohesive manner. These patterns, underpinned by Moslem artists observing all the principles of visual arts, have a logical criterion demonstrating the innovative and creative minds of their creators. It seems that using these patterns, which are compatible with the present culture and condition, can represent a part of Iran's culture and civilization and eventually would satisfy a part of today's graphical demands. Knowing the patterns based on structures compatible with graphic standards (dots, line, surface, composition, size, and color) can contribute to their recreation and proper application in today's world and this knowledge is a necessity for each graphic designer. The present study scrutinizes the patterns used in the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan due to its historical value and diversity of patterns, especially in the Safavid era, since it is a proper place to re-read the Islamic-Iranian patterns. It seeks to answer how the symmetry in these patterns is compatible with graphic symmetry and what are the potentials of these patterns. The research methodology is descriptive-analytical and data is collected through library-based studies, photography and pattern drawing by the author which is eventually analyzed graphically. In doing so, the sum of patterns used in this mosque, including geometric, arabesque, and Khatai (floral), are analyzed through the structure of visual arts principles (dots, line, surface, symmetry, composition, and size) and the energy governing them. In studying these patterns aesthetically, analyzing the primary structure of the patterns is of great significance since an accurate structure can accommodate many aesthetic principles with human mentality. The structure and composition of the patterns can be inspired by nature accompanied by contemplation and experimentation since understanding how to utilize the science of nature properly is science itself used by the artists in the creation of the patterns. From the primary analysis of the patterns, it can be concluded that the structure of geometric patterns is made up of straight and angled lines vertically, horizontally, and slantingly and in drawing these patterns, the rules and structures used in triangle, square, and rhombus are observed. Khatai (floral) and arabesque patterns are curved, rotating and soft lines in which circles have a major role. All these patterns have cohesive, unified and unique structures which have rhythm, harmony, symmetry, movement, rotation, and stability inside themselves. In these compositions, the artist has no emphasis on a particular part of the pattern and moves the observing eye serenely and actively all across the artwork. The present study aims at a better understanding of the application of decorative patterns in the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan and applying it in graphics. It seems that the patterns used in this mosque can satisfy a part of man's communicative demands. By knowing the characteristics of Iranian-Islamic patterns, they can be used in communicating through graphics instead of using cliché patterns that the audience cannot communicate with. A thorough appreciation of the background of patterns, decorative and Islamic arts, and also an appreciation of artwork culture, is a necessity nowadays. The Islamic-geometric pattern is a branch of Islamic arts that is founded by Moslem artists observing the principles of visual arts. Islamic-geometric patterns have a logical criterion accompanied by imagination, innovation, invention, and mental creativity of its creator. The bases of these patterns are circles that are divided equally and create regular polygons. What is crucial is to identify the potential of the Islamic-geometric patterns and transmit them to graphics since these patterns are of great significance visually and conceptually. It seems that re-reading these patterns can make a powerful bond between these patterns and contemporary architects (designers) since nowadays, by the non-professional application of these patterns, Islamic-Iranian patterns do not have a widespread role in sign designing. Nowadays, there are diverse approaches to use these patterns, including the role of connections in patterns and the energy governing the spots. Moreover, to appreciate how to draw these patterns would help graphic designers to avoid mistakes in their artworks. Using frames based on the geometric web of patterns, and also putting patterns as geometric webs in a way that in the final sketch they would not be visible is another strategy offered in the present research. Generally speaking, utilizing these patterns can create an outstanding new piece without creating an old, repetitious, and out-of-mind space for the audience. An appreciation of the principles governing these patterns, their graphic structures, and proper application, along with using colors in these works, are the issues to be considered in designing and utilizing these patterns, and ignoring these principles can lead to an awkward and unstable composition.