Document Type : Original Article
Author
M.A., in Iranian Architectural Studies, Shahid Beheshti University
Abstract
Oral history, established in the twentieth century, is a new branch of historical researches. The main sources of oral history are the spoken words of people, who have knowledge of past events. There are also people who are acquainted with Iranian architecture thus, would be valuable resources in Iranian architectural historiography. However, the limited lifespan of these resources has been neglected since their deaths means losing a great knowledge about Iranian architecture. Despite the vast importance of oral resources in architectural historiography, especially the Iranian ones, there is no research on the relationship between oral history and architectural history.
This research contemplates on this relationship in theory. perception of this new branch of historical researches, must be started with discusions about the concept of it. Then this paper will consentrates on the definition of oral architectural history of Iran.
This essay begins with a discussion about the definition of ‘history’, followed by exploration of the meaning of ‘oral history’, and ‘architectural history’; specially their similarities. At last the definition of ‘oral architectural history of Iran’ will be obtained.
Architectural history is a field of architectural researches exploring for part of past events through which places were bulit and populated, which are called ‘architectural events’ in this essay. Architectural history deals with this events via remained historical evidences.
Oral history of architecture, particularly iranian one, is a new field among architectural historiograhy. It’s main resources are the observations of eyewitnesses of past architectural events, including people who patronized building of a place, designed and consructed it, lived in it, or the people who had no effect on the architectural events but just saw it.
Hence oral architectural history bounded to contemporary events. One part of contemporary events of Iranian architecture is the events of modern architecture which are dedicated to masters and pioneers of Iranian modern architeture. moreover, the other part is pertinent to traditional events of contemporary architecture. A few masters of traditional iranian architecture who belongs to the generations of architects didn't attend in modern schools of architecture but learned it through traditional manners are alive. They are the latest generation of ancient architects of iran and today is a precious opportunity to be acquainted with knowledge, works, thechnics and other aspects of old Iranian architecture.
Oral architectural history of Iran would go beyond limitations of architectural historiography. It can seeks for architectural events which are neglected in official history, such as events of remote towns and villages, low and deprived classes of society, and religious and ethnic minitories; In principal, oral architectural history can pursues past architectural events through the eyes of those who made it and achieve a good knowledge of it.
Contemporary architectural events are the main subjects of oral architecural history but its benefites is not restricted to it. Oral history of architecture helps us conserving and reviving evidences of old architetural events destroyed lately which could brought out from memories of people who have seen them.
This essay attempts to introduce some theoretical issues of oral history in Iranian architectural history to researchers who want to explore and maintain the vast knowledge of people that know the Iranian architecture.
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