Iran - Andrew Burke [46]
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PAINTING
The earliest known distinctively Persian style of painting dates back to the Seljuk period (1051–1220) and is often referred to as the Baghdad School. Early painting was mainly used to decorate manuscripts and Qurans, though some fine 13th-century pottery found near Tehran also reveals a unique early Persian style of art. During the Mongol period (1220–1335), paintings were used to decorate all sorts of books, especially poetry books.
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A CONNOISSEUR’S GUIDE TO PERSIAN ARCHITECTURE
Listed chronologically.
Choqa Zanbil A huge brick ziggurat from before the 7th century BC.
Persepolis The full glory of the Achaemenid period in one place.
Ardashir’s Palace South of Shiraz, Ardashir’s monumental palace was one of the earliest Sassanian architectural triumphs, and the most impressive of what’s left.
Mil-e Gonbad A soaring, almost unfeasibly bold 11th-century brick tower.
Jameh Mosque Esfahan’s congregational mosque is the finest remaining Seljuk building.
Oljeitu Mausoleum The most magnificent surviving Mongol structure in Iran, and probably the world.
Azim-e Gohar Shad mosque (Mashhad; ) and Blue (Kabud) Mosque (Tabriz; ) Timurid architecture at its finest.
Imam Sq The lasting glory of the Safavids is enshrined in this grand square, containing arguably the greatest concentration of Islamic buildings anywhere on earth.
Golestan Palace (Tehran; ) and Takieh Mo’aven ol-Molk (Kermanshah; ) The finest examples of overblown Qajar style.
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In the 16th century an important school of Persian art developed in Tabriz, under the guidance of Sultan Mohammed. Designs and patterns produced by this school also influenced carpet design. Persian art later flourished under Shah Abbas I, who turned Esfahan into a centre for the arts. By the 18th century artists fell under the influence of India and Europe. Persian artists rarely signed their works so little is known about most of the artists.
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CALLIGRAPHY
With the arrival of Islam several distinctly Persian calligraphic styles emerged, some of them so elaborate that they are almost illegible, eg nashki, which later developed into another renowned style known as thulth. Not only was the Quran faithfully reproduced as a whole in calligraphic form, but verses from it, and the holy names of Allah and Mohammed, were used as decorations on religious buildings and elsewhere, as they are to this day.
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The word Persian doesn’t exist in Farsi. It is the ancient Greek word for Iranians.
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By about the 16th century, Shiraz and Esfahan were producing some of the finest calligraphy in the Islamic world. Some of the very best examples of ancient and modern calligraphy can be seen at Tehran’s Reza Abbasi Museum, named for the renowned 16th-century calligrapher.
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MINIATURES
The Persian miniature-painting (minyaturha) tradition began after the Mongol invasion, influenced by artisans brought to the royal court from China. It reached its peak during the 15th and 16th centuries. Later, artists from eastern Iran, who had studied under the great Mohammadi in Herat (now in Afghanistan), also started to influence this art form.
Persian miniature paintings are now deservedly famous throughout the world. The best examples show great intricacy and attention to detail. Favourite subjects include courting couples in traditional dress (usually figures from popular poetry), polo matches and hunting scenes. Some of the best modern miniatures come from Esfahan, where the tourist market keeps hundreds of miniaturists busy.
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ILLUSTRATED MANUSCRIPTS
Neatly combining Persia’s two traditions of fine penmanship and miniature painting are the illustrated manuscripts you can see on display at the Reza Abbasi