Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Ph.D. Candidate for Art Studies, Tarbiat Modares University
2
Assistant Prof., Art Studies Deoartment, Tarbiat Modares University
3
Prof., Art Studies Deoartment, Tarbiat Modares University
Abstract
Like other artifacts of traditional communities, Iranian Bridges, in addition to their function, are places for manifesting and transferring the underlying notions and worldview of their creators. Iranian
art has formed the external shape of Latent transcendental elements in Islamic -Iranian beliefs and has created the Terrestrial/Visual form for percept it. Since Iranian art assumes the entire world is a place for divine presence and manifestation of God, this expression has not been limited to the religious buildings. Iranian architecture, with its symbolic forms, always has been visualizing their beliefs. Islamic architecture , among other Iranian arts, has a special place. In contact with these buildings, despite the centuries of historical distance, men feel a deep continuity and familiar sense with these places because of their underlying meanings. Architecture of Isfahan is the most excellent sample for this style of architecture. This article is done with descriptive method and indicates that Khajoo Bridge, as peak of Iranian-Islamic architectural history, as a symbol of passing to heaven and judgment. In Islamic architecture, each building with any function, in its traditional position, has an absolutely sacred character. So the bridges are not only a functional structure from this point of view and like other buildings of Iranian architecture especially religious buildings are the position of expression
of Iranian viewpoint about the existence and the world. Each building is a link between form and conceptual thoughts resulted from beliefs and philosophical views. Among these beliefs, we can cite to belief in resurrection to heaven that has deep link with transition and crossing from the bridge. In the Iranian beliefs, the world is like bridge that emphasis temporally life of human kind during life against his whole spiritual life, a passage to heaven and paradise, right manner of life and a place to exam the humanity values of mankind like last judgment that being done on a bridge shape space in ancient Iranian mythical beliefs. In a result of this conceptual link, crossing the bridge as a metaphor of life time can be compare with Sadra theosophical teachings that we can see the evidence of them in Safavid era buildings specially Khaju Bridge on Zayandeh-rud river. Triple structure of Khaju bridge, the entrance part stands after Safavid era southern city gateway, the middle section of the bridge, with its octagonal building (called Biglarbeigi), and third part that links gateway to Isfahan city structure and a main route to city center, Naghsh-e-jahan square and especially, Imam mosque as a world center for Shia Islam, can be offered an interpretation of Sadra manner of from The hierarchy of human presence
in an allegorical context that represent a human behavior in architectural expression and different experiences of various sections of bridges is comparable with evolutional part of his manner of life. This article shows this symbolic structure of Safavid era architecture, through this case study as an evident to philosophical context of Iranian architecture to create a whole world with religious meanings
and its puberty during Safavid era.
Keywords