Study and Comparison on Two Mosque- School: Chaharbagh and
Seyed, in Terms of Decorative Motifs
Shahrbanoo Khazan, Vigen Ghazarian
Abstract
Throughout the Iranian history, important political events have always serious effects on
the Iranian painting developments and change in governments has been always along
with replacement of artists and integration of artistic traditions. Ax instance, along with
establishment of Safavi Government and conquered in Tabriz and Harat by 1st Shah
Esmaeil Safavi, we see that artists of Harat School transferred and following that, 2nd
School of Tabriz established. Two major movements have affected the establishment of
this school which are: imaginative and fine style of Torkamans together with
characteristics such as fantastic painting, conceptual space-creating and etc. that the
prominent agent of that is Soltan Mohammad Tabrizi. Through this research we have
tried to historically study on this motifs and effects, comparing the motifs of two
mosque-schools: Chaharbagh and Seyed.
Key words: Decorative Motifs, Mosque-School, Chaharbagh, Seyed
© 2015 BBT Pub. All rights reserved.
Introduction
Nature-oriented and academic style of Harat with characteristics such as space-creating,
emphasizing human and etc. that its prominent agent is Kamaloddin Behzad Harati.
The Tabriz powerful and rich School formed as the result of integrating these two
movements that its result could be well seen in valuable books of Shah Tahmasebi
Shahnameh, Nezami’s Khamseh and Jami’s Haft Ornag. Behzad’s art, with characteristics
such as paying attention to human and his real relations, trying for visualizing human in
dynamism and movement, considering human’s personal characteristics and using a kind
of geometrical system for creating a specific space in which the figures can simply move,
had an especial effect on Tabriz’ Torkamans School’s painters. Indeed, they after knowing
Behzad and his special principles for dividing space to separated parts and using
geometrical methods, learned that they should consider specific space and action for each
figure. Behzad, providing the mundane and world dimension, was trying to create the real
world which was totally different with imaginative world of Torkamans’ painting. This
effect could be seen in the paintings of Soltan Mohammad that are painted after Behzad
entered Tabriz. Indeed, after this time, there is a balance between human and nature in his
works and he, through his conceptual space-creating, is successful to createmultidimensional space and his rich imagination combined with reality in a large extent. In
addition, we saw that political status has an important role in formation of arts. As the
royal court didn’t support painters, they tried to find new ways for living. As the result, a
kind of folk art formed gradually and common people’s taste appeared in painting. Paining
came out of restriction of a specific person or group, paining in books fadedand instead of
that, single-sheet paintings circulated, such as what Agha Reza Abbasi painted from rich
classes and common people in single pages. Continuing Behzad’s realism tradition and
non-observing of perspective which could be seen in Reza Abbasi’s works, he, with deft
drawing and using a kind of special brush-taking which will be made through change in
lines’ thickness, established a new method in painting which was based on simplification
of colors system and space structure. A specific and unique type of Iranian tile, known as
underglaze, survived in this land within a long period, from 7th and 8thAh. to now, along
with up and downs in production or using technique and method. Prior to Safavid’s
Period, the placement of underglaze tiles is not specified in structure of buildings and they
are used separately for decorating the building. But within Safavid’s Period and after that,
underglaze tiles found a specific position and their using place became specified; within
this period, buildings’ plinth is the most important and prominent spot which is the
placement of underglaze tiles. The Safavid’s Period is the peak of using underglaze tiling in
buildings such as mosques and shrines. But, after that, these tiles lose their real position
and gradually declined to their today’s position and altered to decorative and single tiles.
Remained samples from Ilkhani’s period show a wide variety in their placement in
building In addition, using green-context or white-contexttechniques is alternately seen
within this period. In white-context samples, the dominant color is navy blue (Persian
Blue) and in initial green-context samples, the dominant color in paintings is black. Using
these tiles are from building’s plinth (according to Arayes Aljavaher text and found sample
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in Torbat-e-Jaam) to endowment and memorial inscriptions, or in composition with
Maghali (Koofi) tiles in the body of Kabood Mosque or single star samples in the building
of Esfahan Pir Bokran monument. These cases show the wide use of both techniques
(green-context and white-context) and various applications of these tiles in various parts
of building. This could show an almost advanced phase in artistic and technical thinking,
hence, we expect that older samples of this technique be introduced in the future. Within
Safavid’s Period, a stabilized format of underglaze tiles appears as 20×20 squares which
most use in the building’s plinth of bathes, religious shrine and seminaries, although there
are some samples in this period that do not obey the expressed dimensions and
applications: such as samples with relief designs or single tiles of the inscription which are
used as letter of endowment and memorial. Dominant colors within this period which
mostly performed as white-context are: navy blue (Persian Blue), green, black and
sometimes red-brown. The Qajar’s Period should be introduced as the period for develop
in using and performing new experiences in underglaze tiles in Iran because several
building’s plinths and bodies are covered by these type of tiling. Technical decline and
decrease in the quality of glazing, in comparison with previous period, along with
spreading color in glaze, are of natural results of this fast development and wide using of
this technique (of course there are exceptions in this period which are of a very high
quality in production). Used colors, comparing previous period, are more and yellow,
medium violet red, brown and orange are added to last color series.
Considering the studying samples in this research, the specific characteristics of each
period, in terms of position, material, used colors and motifs, could be summarized in
table 1.
Period
Body’s
Material
Body’s
Shape
Context
Color
Motifs
Dominant
Color in
Motifs
Clear
Glaze’s
Color
Placement
in Building
Pre-Safavid
Stone
paste
Octagonal
star,
regular
octagonal,
square and
triangle in
various
sizes
Greencontext
and whitecontext
(most of
greencontext are
seen in the
tiles of this
period)
Inscription’s
text, simple
arabesque
and Cathay
motifs,
geometrical
motifs
mixed with
arabesque
and Cathay)
Navy blue
(Persian
Blue),
shade,
green
Colorless
and greenclear blue
There is no
specified
and defined
placement
within this
period and
these seen
in various
parts of
building, in
terms of
usage.
Safavid
Stone
paste
Square, star
and
octagonal,
rectangular
Whitecontext
and greencontext (in
this period
whitecontext is
the
dominant
bed)
Arabesque
and Cathy
motifs, plant
motifs,
animal and
human
motifs, a
few
inscriptions
Navy blue
(Persian
Blue),
black,
turquoise,
violet, gray,
brown,
camel,
yellow, red,
pink
Clear
(colorless)
Building’s
plinth,
around
framing of
mosaic or
sevencolors tiles,
plinth of
shrines or
bathrooms,
building’s
entrance’s
inscriptions
Qajar
Stone
paste, clay
paste
(limited
use of clay
paste)
Square,
rectangular
Whitecontext
Arabesque
and Cathay,
animal and
human
motifs
Navy blue
(Persian
Blue),
green,
brown,
black,
orange,
red, yellow,
pink, violet
Clear
(colorless)
plinth of
shrines or
bathrooms,
religious
schools,
combination
techniques
Table 1- Periodical classification and development of underglaze tiles in Iran, specifying
the characteristics such as material and shape of body, context color, motifs and their
colors, clear glaze’s color and placement position in building within each period.
In addition, according to performed studies in the field of graffiti (wall painting), we
observed that graffiti is not based on a specific method, therefore, works that in the
resources of Islamic Art are called as wall decorations, architecture, wall motifs and so on,
instead of graffiti, are in accordance with the criteria and definitions of graffiti which
acquired from today’s art science and indeed are of best examples of graffiti art within this
S.Khazan, V. Ghazarian / Teknologi Tanaman/Vol(12), 2015
123
period. In these resources, the word “Graffiti”, because of inattention to these definitions
and difference in the Iranian and Western art concepts, is only used for introducing
similar works to tripod painting method or with mockup space. It seems that
interpretation of Iranian Art, with a view to Christian Art, was an effective factor in
defining graffiti and also plurality of words in this field, also inattention to the concept of
graffiti in introducing these works caused that various skills and methods of this art to be
interpreted and defined separately and the interaction and harmony of this art with
architecture and environment , which is one of its most important characteristics, has not
received enough attention and less studied and its initial quality declined gradually. But
nowadays the Iranian authentic graffiti art is considered as a rich treasure of knowledge
and scientific and artistic skill.
Results and Analysis
Esfahan Chaharbagh Mosque-School and Seyed Mosque
Chaharbagh and Seyed Mosque-School buildings belong to Safavid’s period that both are
located in Esfahan and each of them have special decorative characteristics which are
resulted from their period’s cultural and social developments and we can claim that both
are of mot and artistic masterpieces within their own period. Chaharbagh Mosque-School
is geographically located at Chaharbagh Street and is built within reign of Shah Soltan
Hossein Safavi, the last Safavids’ king. Construction of this building started from 1116 Ah.
year and length to 1126 Ah. year. This building is also called as Soltani School, King’s
Mother School, Chaharbagh School and Imam Sadegh Religious School too, but now it is
known and famous as Chaharbagh School among Esfahan People. The surface area of
Chaharbagh School is about 8550 Sq.m. and its yard is with an area of 3900 Sq.m. Its
northern part is a long marketplace and on its eastern part, Abbasi Inn (a part of former
Carvansaraa) is located. Dome, minarets, finial, sanctuary, pulpit, yard and porches all are
evidences that show that this place is a mosque and rooms around porchesin two floors,
library, study hall and etc. express that this building is a school. The other mosque-school,
Esfahan Seyed Mosque-School, is one of historical buildings of late Safavid’s period which
belong to the middle of 13th AD. Century and Fathali Shah’s period. This buildings
constructed on a rectangular land, totally with an area of 8075 Sq.m., in Masjed Seyed St.,
Esfahan Bidabad District which is one of old and important districts within that period,
and next to Esfahan Bidabad Marketplace. Hojjatoleslam Haj Seyed Mohammad Bagher
Shafti, one of the great religious men in Esfahan, started the construction of this building
that its tiling continued until the end of 2nd half of 13thAD. Century. After his death, a part
of mosque’s decoration completed by his son, Haj Seyed Asadollah, and a part of that by
his grandson, Haj Seyed Mohammad Bagher and apparently, some parts of its decoration
is remained uncompleted. This building bears 2 big yards, dome, two Forty Columns, four
belvederes, three porches, finial and more than 45 rooms on the upper floor which are
built for religious students’ residence. It has four exit sides, two doors on southeast and
southwest and two doors on north of mosque, it also connect around districts through
mosque. Decorative motifs of Iranian art, specially tiling, could be divided into five parts:
plant motifs, animal motifs, human motifs, geometric motifs and decorative lines. In this
part of research we have tried to assess and compare the tiling motifs of Esfahan Seyed
and Chaharbagh Mosque-Schools, through library and filed studies, the characteristics of
each part are analyzed and finally compared in some tables. This is worthy to mention that
according to each discussion, some examples of tiling motifs’ images are given in relevant
parts.
Plant Motifs
Arabesque Ivy and Cathay Flowers
Circle and dynamic moves of arabesque and fresh Cathay flowers have fundamental role in
decoration of religious buildings and in a sense, they were exemplification of desired
heaven. Dominant motifs in Chaharbagh Mosque-School are geometric motifs and
arabesque and Cathay motifs in dome, some of porch’s triangular, sanctuary and so on are
used, most of branches are so thin and flower designs are abstractions which are mostly
performed on turquoise blue and navy blue (Persian Blue) contexts (Fig. 1).
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Fig. 1 Arabesque and Cathay Motifs of Chaharbagh Mosque-School
Typically, the framework of this building includes the plants motifs together with
arabesque motifs which are thicker stronger and tougher and also the Cathay flowers and
plants designs are placed beside the arabesque motifs. But in Qajar period, the vase design
based on nature elements such as designs of fruits, flowers, animals and plants were
composed the main combination (Makki Nejad 2008), In school- mosque, dominant motifs
are arabesque and Cathay, not geometrical motifs . Generally the big, dominant motifs are
arabesque and Cathay, not geometrical motifs. Generally the big revulsion of rather thick
branches in backgrounds of rich flowers such as rose , lily with different designs of
landscape , figures of fruits and same figures are considered as an imitation of European
designs . These designs are applied in context of yellow, green and blue. Cathay flowers
loosed their influence because of placement beside the natural flowers. The crowdies of
colors and designs caused not to seen the independent identity of arabesque and Cathay (
figure 2)
Fig2: Arabesque and Cathay Motifs of Seyed Mosque-School
Vase
The vase figure has used in tiles and sculptures and it is important to study the sculptured
vase motifs. The sculptured motifs on marbles are simple in Chaharbagh School- Mosque,
but in vase motifs, there are some delicate sculpturing designs. Generally, there has been
simple vase motifs in Safavid period and few plants motifs were painted (Figures 3,4)
Fig 3. Vase motifs of Seyed Mosque-School
Fig 4. Vase motifs of Chaharbagh Mosque-School
In Seyed Mosque-School , there can be seen vase motifs with full of flowers on tiles in
addition to sculptures of vase motifs , but there are not seen in Chaharbagh Mosque-
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School .In Qajar period, the tiles were used as canvas which is context of artist painting
and there are many natural painting on it(Makki nejad , 2008) so it has more delicate and
details . Vase motifs in Qajar period has encountered to the restriction of natural elements
such as different types of flowers especially rose flower, lily, grape and fruit. In this period,
the vase motifs were performed in naturalistic look. Generally, the motifs play important
roloe in Qajar period . Most motifs are influenced by West same as other contexts. Artist in
Qajar period looks West art as naturalistic look and the reflection of reality , the vase tiles
with influence of this look has represented more details in motifs(Fig5)
Fig 5: flowers and vase motifs of seyed School-Mosque.
Plate motifs (Kase Boshghab)
Iran history is the history of dominance of new western culture on the old Iranian culture,
either we called it constructive or destroyer, this look cannot make difference about the
art developments especially architecture in Qajar period (Bani Masoud 2010).In Qajar
period, architecture has duality, in one hand , it seeks to bound the past Iranian traditions
and in other hand , it is influenced by west architecture(Makki Nejad 2008).In study of
Qajar architecture , we find that the artists of that period dissolved the external culture
inside their own culture , not themselves in external culture , and it is the most valuable
procedure in Qajar period ( Bani Masoud 2010) . Exact look has shown the motifs of vase
full of rose and lily flowers with nature landscape which was extracted from card postal of
European new comers, these figures were pictured in an oval yellow frame and were the
common subjects of unique figures on tiles (Fariyeh 1995).In addition to the vase and
flower motifs, one another motif which was influenced by the west art and flower & bird
of Shiraz school is a motif called plate motifs. In this design, many flowers are placed in a
plate with many thin and decorative motifs that some examples of them can be seen in
Seyed School-Mosque (Fig6)
Fig6: plate motifs of Seyed school- mosque
Grape and grape leaves
When Islam entered to Iran, the decorative motifs in Iranian buildings , because of nonacceptance of figures design in Islam , shifted toward plant motifs and many beautiful
plant motifs were designed typically as twisted motifs which was expanded in broad area
such as grapevine plant . In belief of ancient Iran, the grapevine was resembled of royal
family.Grape leaf is the major symbolism of Christians and Dionysus in related to grape
which are common to each other’s. Scroll of grape leaves is an aspect of Bakosi temples
and this motif with worship of it penetrate in Asia but its symbolism aspect was vanished.
In Christian art and architecture, the grapevine is resemble of Jesus (Hall 2001).Grape
motifs can be seen as arabesque twisted motifs in decorative motifs of different parts of
Chaharbagh School- Mosque including: dome, porch, sanctuary and same cases. But in
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seyed School-Mosque decorative motifs, the arabesque forms in addition to its natural
forms can be seen which this form cannot be seen in Chaharbagh School-Mosque(Fig7).
Fig 7: Grape and grape leaves motifs of Seyed School- Mosque
grape cluster motifs had used in tiling of Seyed school-mosque similar what could be seen
in foreign stamps, pictures and card postal which has been a decorative aspect and can be
considered as a sign of the influence of western art and culture.(table 2)
Table2. Comparative analogy of plant motifs
Motif types
Arabesque & Cathay
plant
Vase motifs
Seyed SchoolMosque
Dominant &
abundant
decorative motifs
Relative thick
branches
Relative
naturalistic
flowers
Busy and material
Vague and
dependent identity
Motifs on stones
and tiles
Chaharbagh
School-Mosque
Secondary decorative motif and low use
Very thin branches
Abstract flowers
Simple & spiritual
Independent and clear identity
Lithography on stone
Simple with few decoration
Flowers & vase
Plate motifs
Grape & vine leaves
Delicate and very
decorative with
many detail
Vases full of
flowers on tiles
and plaster
Influenced by west
art & culture (
imported card
postal)
Abundant as
relative
naturalistic
influenced by west
art & culture and
flower & bird of
Shiraz school
Relative naturist
Having decorative
aspect (influenced
by west art &
culture)
Low usage
Influence by religion and faith
Low usage
-
Abstract (arabesque spiral motifs)
-
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Human motifs
Human motifs are among popular motifs and special aspect of tiles in Qajar period. These
pictures and motifs include the angels with wings, men and women in different positions
such as standing, sitting position, human face but animal body, semi-naked figures and
same concepts. Human motifs were faced some limitations in Islamic era. But in Safavid
period, these motifs can be seen on wall painting of places, public mansions and villas. But
these motifs were banned in religion buildings. Of course , human motifs have been in
religious pictures of Huseiniyeh( place for mourning the third Imam of Shiite) , Takaya (
religious building) and Saghakhaneh (water supply place) of Qajar period which was
called inn painting as figures of prophets and Shiite Imams such as Abolfazl figure, battle
of Ali Akbar , the prophet ascension and same cases . But in both Seyed and Chhaharbagh
school-mosque, there are not human motifs (table 3)
Architecture landscape
Architecture landscape are among the motifs which entered to Iran paintings ( titling and
plastering) after the appearance of European photography, card postal . Architecture
landscape is among designs which were used widely in Qajar period and this can be seen
clearly in tile decorations of Seyed school- mosque. Sometimes some of these landscapes
represented three dimensions and shade & light which represent the influence of
photography. The architecture landscape are in different types including: city landscape,
church, palace, castle, mosque, factory, tent (Salari Taleghani 2010)(Figures 8-10)
Fig8. Architecture landscape (mosque) of Seyed school-mosque
Fig9. architecture landscape( nature) of Seyed school-mosque
Fig 10. Architecture landscape( nature & factory) of Seyed school-mosque
Motifs types
human
architecture
landscape
Table 3. Comparative analogy of human motifs
Seyed school-mosque
)influenced by west art & culture)
abundant and wide usage
Chaharbagh school-mosque
Not seen
Geometric motifs
Chaharbagh school-mosque includes a set of different geometric motifs , nodes and in
other words as a pictorial encyclopedia of geometric forms and an abstraction of many
variety which has worked in internal and external surfaces of school in different methods .
Majority of geometric motifs in Chaharbagh school-mosque are more delicate with more
details than Seyed school-mosque (Figures 11& 12)
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Fig 11. Geometric motifs of Chaharbagh school-mosque
Fig 12. Geometric motifs of Seyed school-mosque
But, the geometric motifs of Seyed school-mosque include less decorative motifs. Also in
some geometric motifs of both buildings, the flowers motifs are abstractive (Fig 13) . Table
4 compares the geometric motifs of these two mosques.
Fig 13. Geometric motifs with abstractive design of flower in Chaharbagh school-mosque(
rigth) and Seyed school-mosque ( left)
Motifs types
geometric
Table 4. Comparative analogy of geometric motifs
Seyed school-mosque
Chaharbagh school-mosque
Secondary decorative motifs and less usage
Dominant motif and abundant
Simple with less decorative
More complicate, delicate and more details
the flowers motifs as abstractive form
the flowers motifs as abstractive form
Decorative lines
Koofi Banaei
decorative lines are generally as Koofi Banaei and Sols lines in Safavid period which these
lines were considered because of religious and spiritual aspect and also masters of this
period. While most inscriptons were written with Nastaligh lines in Qajar period one of
the features of Koofi lines was its focus on square and diamond as frame and also as single
geometric motif in combination which can be seen in Chahrbagh school-mosque (Figures
14&15).
Fig 14. Koofi lines of Chahrbagh school-mosque
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Fig 15. Koofi lines of Chahrbagh school-mosque
"One of the important things in matching Koofi lines during the Safavid and Qajar periods
should be noted that these lines in inscriptions of the Safavid era were generally
implemented without a point. But in most inscriptions of Qajar period , the point is
applied as filler element to the page. "(Sarrafzadegan, 2001) (Figure 16)
Fig 16. Koofi line of Seyed mosque – school
"Most of Koofi lines used in the inscriptions of Seyed mosque - school in the eastern and
western sides of the building and the inscriptions top of the second floor rooms and
generally a combination of several samples of Koofi lines with different colors, such as
white, and yellow and the decorative yellow frame decorated with black arabesques and
geometric decorative motifs and the context bricks are not the same color "(sharifinia,
2002) , while the inscriptions of the Chaharbagh school-mosque were implemented as a
Koofi lines in same color
Sols
In both buildings, Sols line was used on the margins of the porch, the back of sides, the
entrance, the dome and the like. However, the Sols line of Chaharbagh mosque-school has
elongation and dense compression which causes difficulty in reading ( Figure 17) but in
Seyed mosque-school , the inscriptions of Sols lines have low density and elongation and
this cause easy reading of them( Figure 18).
Fig 17. Sols line in margin of porch and dome of Chaharbagh school-mosque
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Fig 18. Sols line , Seyed school-mosque
Sols line context in both fields is generally devoid of decoration and as pure line alone is
used. Empty spaces are filled with vowel signs and in some cases , the f plant motifs with
light colors was used in context of inscriptions. Also, the lines of inscriptions of both
buildings have been implemented with white or yellow on a navy blue background. In
both the third line, the Sols has been used for the divine names, verses, chapters and
Quran themes.
Nastaligh
Nastaligh is an Iranian line completely, the symbol of unity and a sign of the Iranian
cultural identity against the influence of Western art in the Qajar era. It was introduced at
the beginning of the Safavid period, only a few of the lines can be seen in the Chahar Bagh
School mosque which placed in separate frames along with together (Fig. 19). But Seyed
school-mosque , the frequency of this line is used, for example, at the top of gold chambers
this line is used into the decorative frame and same Chaharbagh mosque-school , a white
line into the navy blue context has written and decorative elements around them are like
each other. This text is written in praise of the Prophet and Imam Ali.
Fig 19. Nastaligh of Chaharbagh school – mosque
Another use of Nastaligh of Seyed school – mosque is the Farsi translation of praying
words which can be seen the northern entrance porch view and also this line has used in
writing of traditions, the Holy Names, signed by master craftsmen, as well as construction
description and construction period. (Figure 20) as well as comparative analogy of
decorative lines in both buildings.
Fig 20. Nastaligh of Seyed school – mosque
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Table 5 . Comparative analogy of decorative lines
Types of
lines
Koofi
Sols
Nastaligh
Seyed school – mosque
Chaharbagh school – mosque
Low usage
Simplicity and dominance of form on concept
Point as filler element in page
Performance a combination of styles in inscription
Performance many colors such as yellow and white in
inscription
low elongation and height
Extensive use of dominant line with Sols line
Focus on diamond and square motifs
Performance without point
Performance one style of Koofi line in inscription
Performance one color in inscription
Low usage
Easy reading
the Quran words, verse, Holy Names
Performance by white & yellow colors on navy blue
context
Without decorations
Pure line
Fill the empty spaces with vowel signs
Abundant usage , dominant line
Abundant usage , dominant line is Koofi
Difficult reading
the Quran words, verse, Holy Names
Performance by white & yellow colors on navy
blue context
Without decorations
Pure line
Fill the empty spaces with vowel signs
Low usage
a symbol of unity and a sign of Iranian cultural
identity
Beginning of line spread
high elongation and height
Conclusion
In Chaharbagh school – mosque, the plant and geometric motifs each separately identified
and can be seen in the decorative tile in a state of spiritual simplicity, but the building of
Seyed mosque-school , the combination of different motifs and a multitude of colors
without certain target but with many details and intricacies are pictured on the wall
surfaces .In Seyed mosque-school , the use of geometric patterns and traditional plants
motifs of Iranian arts declined, and instead of it , in arabesques arms , the naturalistic
motifs like flowers, architectural landscapes, naturalistic images of fruits such as grape,
strawberry , motifs of flowers and vases, bowls – plate are painted under the influence of
West culture and art. Most Qajar period artists were self-taught, and became familiar with
the architecture of the West via the figures and had digested it. So perhaps it is more
logical that consider the combination of these two systems unconsciously and greatly
influence long-standing tradition on the one hand and result of inadequate familiarity with
the principles of European academic art. For this reason, regardless of the comparison
with European art, it has its own outstanding features. Dominant line of Chahar Bagh
School inscriptions is Sols and Kofi of Quranic verses and sayings which it is difficult to
read them according to the type of performance. But in Seyed mosque-school, the
performance makes reading easy, because the dominant line is Nastaligh which is used to
translate the prayers words, traditions, Holy Names, signed by master craftsmen,
descriptions and history of the building.
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Shahrbanoo Khazan, Department of Art, Academy fine of Art, Yerevan, Armenia
Vigen Ghazarian, Professor, Department of Art, Academy fine of Art, Yerevan, Armenia