Reviewing the Constituent Components of the Spatial Organization of Iranian City after Islam in the 9th–14th AH Travelogues

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

1 Ph.D Candidate in Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, University of Tehran, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Architecture, University of Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Spatial organization is a concept derived from a systemic view of the city and its components. It considers the city with a meaning more than the algebraic sum of its physical components. Its meaning is derived from the regularity, ratio, and relationship between components of the city. The spatial organization of a city is a result of the agreement between residents in the formation of the city. According to this perspective, the constituent components of the city in every civilization are formed based on a particular organization and discipline resulted from their similar cultural framework. Therefore, the spatial organization is a distinguished cultural aspect and identity mark. The travelogues of the orientalist of the 9th to 13th AH are the key sources. Although they did not address the city with a clear and systematic view, by mentioning the social life events and describing spaces and significant city elements, provided a mixed image of the spatial organization of the city. Analysis and comparison of the descriptive and specialized findings to explain the spatial organization of the city provide new interpretations about the nature and method of the formation of the Islamic-Iranian city. The current paper aims to address the formation of the particular spatial organization of the Iranian city functionally and semantically. In this regard, the components of the spatial organization are studied in terms of its role in the structure of the “whole” city and the interaction relationships. Research method is historical. Data collection was done using library method, including travelogues and technical resources. The relationship between tourists ‘descriptions and experts’ opinions of Iranian cities and its spatial organization was done through rational inference and analysis of findings. The city space organization is the product of an attitude towards the city as an independent whole. The necessary condition for finding the meaning of the city as a “whole” is the purposefulness of the components and the regularity between them that realizes the formation, development, and evolution of the city in the form of a dynamic organism. In the Iranian city of the Islamic period, four components form the territory, center, structure, and small units, model, and particular relations of the spatial organization of the city. In a general classification, among the four key components of the spatial organization of the Iranian city, due to its creating feature, the center is the necessary condition. Also, due to the service role, other components, along with the center are the sufficient and complementary conditions for the realization of the city’s spatial organization.
 

Keywords

References

meli, S. S & Akhavan, M. (2013). Representation of Identical City Elements in Travel Writings: A Comparative Study f Tehran and Other cities in Tehran Province. Quarterly of Social Studies and Research in Iran, 1(4), 75-100.
Amiri, M. (1991). Dah Safarnameh [Ten Travelogues]. Tehran:Vahid.
Afzal-al-molk, Gh. (1981). Afzal-al-tavarikh (M. Etehadiye & S. S’advandian (ed.)). Tehran: Nashr-e Tarikh-e Iran.
Barbaro, J. (1970). Safarname-ye Venizian dar Iran [Travelogue of the Venetians in Iran], (M. Amiri Trans.). Tehran: Nashr-e Tarikh-e Iran.
Chardin, J. (1956). Vojagesde Chardin Enperse et Autres Lieun Delorient (M. Abbasi Trans.). Tehran: Amir kabir.
Clavijo, G. (1995). Narrative of the Embassy of Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo to the Court of Timour, at Samarcand, A.D. 1403 ‎(M. Rajab Nia Trans.). Tehran: Elmifarhangi Publication.‬‬
Curzon. G. (1970). Persia and the Persia Question (Vol. 2) (Gh. Vahid Mazandarani Trans.). Tehran: Elmifarhangi Publication.
de Bruyn, C. (1718). Voyages par la Moscovie en Perse et aux Indes Orientales, ouvrage enrichi des tailles douces. Parsi: Freres Wetstein.
Della Valle, P. (1991). Cose e Parole Nei Viaggi di Pitro Della Valle (Sh. Shafa, Tarns.). Tehran: Elmifarhangi Publication.
Dieulafoy, J. (1992). La Perse, La Chaldee et La Susiane: Relation de Voyage (M. Farevashi trans.). Tehran: University of Tehran.
‭Falamaki, M. M. )1989(. Iranian city in a comparative Comparison with global experience. Tehran: Faza Publication. ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬
Flandin, E. N. (1977). Voyage en Perse 1840 – 1841 (H. Noorsadeghi Trans.). Tehran: Eshraghi.
Flandin, E. N. (2014). Voyage en Perse 1840 – 1841 (A. Agahi Trans.). Isfahan: Naghsh-e Mana.
Hamidi, M. (1997). Ostokhanbandi-e Shahr-e Tehran (Vol. 1) [Structure of Tehran City]. Tehran: Tehran Technical and Engineering Consulting Organization.
Ibn Battuta, M. (1997). The Travels of Ibn Battuta (M. A. Movahed. Trans.). Tehran: Agah.
Jafarpour, E. (1989). Les architectures et la ville de Damghan. Tehran: Faza publication.
Kaempfer, E. (1984). Am Hofe des Persischen Grosskonig (K. Jahandari Trans.). Tehran: Kharazmi Publication.
Kateb Yazdi, A. H. (2007). Tarikh-e Jadid-e Yazd [New history of Yazd]. Tehran: Amirkabir.
Khademzadeh, M. H. (2009). Mahalat-e Tatikhi-e Shahr-e Yazd [Historical Neighborhoods of Yazd]. Tehran: Sobhan-e Noor.
Khodaie, Z. & taghvaie, A. (2011). Shakhsiat shenasi-ye shahr-e Irani ba ta’kid bar ab’ade kalbadi-ye shahr [Personality of the Islamic city; Emphasizing on the physical dimensions of the Islamic city]. Journal of studies of Iranian-Islamic city, 2(5), 103-113.
Kiani, M. Y. (2000). Iranian Architecture Islamic Period. Tehran: SAMT.
Loti, P. (1993). Vers Ispahan (B. Ketabi Trans.). Tehran: Eqbal Publication.
Mansouri, S. A. (1997). Etude des évolutions de la ville et de l’architecture de Kerman, Sous la direction du Professeur Gerard Monnier, Thèse de doctorat, Université de Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne.
Mansouri, S. A. (2007). Spatial organization of Iranian city in tow periods: Before and after Islam based on testimonies of evaluations of the city of Kerman. Bagh- E Nazar, 4(7), 50-60.
Mansouri, S. A. (2013). The spatial system in the Islamic city of Iran. Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient, 1(1), 51-62.
Mansouri, S. A. (2016). Serir-e tahavol-e sazman-e fazai-e Qavin az ebteda ta doran-e mo’aser [The evolution of Qazvin Space Organization from the beginning to the contemporary era]. Tehran: Nazar publication.
Mansouri, S. A. & Dizani, E. (2016). Evolution of the Spatial System in the City of Qazvin. Tehran: NAZAR Research Center.
Mansouri, S. A. & Mohammadzadeh, S. (2018). The changes of Tabriz spatial organization from early Islamic era to Gajar era. Bagh- E Nazar, 14(51), 21-32.
Morier, J. (2007). A Journey through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor, to Constantinople, in the Years 1808 and 1809 ( A. Seri Trans.). Tehran: Toos Publication.
Mousapour M. Y. (2018). Analysis of the ontology and epistemology bases of the grounded theory. Kimiya-ye- honar, 6(25), 7-22.
Mousavi, A. (1970). Tarikh-e Shahr-e Damghan [The History of Damghan City]. In: I. Jafarpour (ed.), Les architectures et la ville de Damghan. Tehran: Faza Publication.
Nazari Ghanbari, S. & Alipour, S. (2018). Sokunat va peydayesh-e shahr [Habitat and origin of the city]. Journal of Architecture, 1(1),1-6.
Orsolle, E. (2003). Le perse La et Caucase (A.A Saeedi Trans.). Tehran: Institute for Cultural and Humanities Studies.
Pourahmad, A. (1992). Joghrafia va Sakht-e Shahr-e Kerman [Geography and construction of Kerman city]. Tehran: Academic Center of Education, Culture and Research - head office.
Pourahmad, A. & Pourahmad, A. (2014). Sakht-e faza’i shahr dar Iran ghabl va ba’ad az eslam [Spatial construction of the city in Iran before and after Islam]. Journal of Sustainable City, 1(1), 21-36.
Saraie, M. (2011). Islamic- Iranian Bazar Changes: (A Case Study of Yazd Bazar). Journal of Studies on Iranian-Islamic City, 1(2), 25-37.
Serena, C. (1983). Hommes et Choses en Perse (A. A. Sa’idi Trans.). Tehran: Zavar Publication.
Shafaghi, S. (2008). Pish daramadi bar shahr-e eslami va efteragh-e an ba shahr-e gharbi [An Introduction to the Islamic city and its differentiation from the western city]. Proceedings of the First Conference on Islamic Utopia, Isfahan: University of Isfahan.
Soltanifard, H. & Seyedmoradi Z. S. (2016). Transformation of the Grand Mosque position in the Islamic city spatial configuration-Case study: the Grand Mosque of Sabzevar City. Iran University of Science & Technology, 4(2), 107-123.
Tavassoli, M. (2002). Urban Structure and Architecture in the Hot Arid Zone of Iran. Tehran: Peyvand-e Noo.
‏Tavernier, J. B. (1957). Voyage en Perse (A. Nuri Trans.). Isfahan: Sanaee publication.
Varesi, H., Zangi Abadi, A. & Vafai A. A. (2006). A survey of historical changes in the structure of the city of kashan. Studies on Kashsn, 3(1), 127-155.
Zangi Abadi, A. (1991). Joghrafia va Barnameh Rizi-ye Shahri-ye Kerman [Geography and Urban Planning of Kerman] (Vol. 1 & 2). Kerman: Markaz-e Kerman Shenasi.
MANZAR, the Scientific Journal of landscape
Volume 13, Issue 55
June 2021
Pages 20-29

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics