Gorgan City: Heritage and Ritual Landscapes

Volume 8, Issue 28
Summer 2020
Pages 13-22

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 student in landscape architect at Tehran University

2 Faculty of Fine Arts, Shahid beheshti University, Iran.

3 Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Iran.

Abstract
One of the components of the vitality of urban spaces is the citizen presence with the aim of “being in space”, which results in the improvement of social relations, increase of security, creation of a sense of belonging to the place due to the increased possibility of individual and collective memories, and reduction of crime in the city. Ritual spaces have long played an important role in shaping urban landscapes. They have been strongly experienced as urban public spaces and have been one of the main reasons for the formation of cities. Today, the physical components of traditional cities, even if survive, lack dynamism and citizen presence, and their activity is limited to specific social and religious occasions. In the two-day field visit to the historic fabric of Gorgan City, what attracts visitors most is the multiplicity of Tekyehs, Hussainiyas, and mosques, which are located in the center of the neighborhoods and considered as public open places with high social, religious and economic potentials. In the past, they have been the manifestation of culture, religion, social life, and formed the social identity of the people living in Gorgan City. However, today, due to the change in lifestyle, people’s needs, and modern urbanism model, they have become inactive centers in the heart of the historic and valuable fabric of Gorgan City. That is why the present study aims to use a descriptive-analytic method to examine the heritage and ritual landscapes of Gorgan City in old and new texts and references, and explore the reasons for the multiplicity of mosques and Tekyehs in this city using related texts and field study.

Keywords

Abarghouei Fard, H., Saboonchi, P. & Farzin, A. (2018). An Investigation into the Role of Ritual Landscapes in the Identity of Iranian Cities. Bagh-e Nazar, 15 (65), 5-12. DOi:  10.22034/BAGH.2018.74072
Alalhesabi, M., Paykan, E. (2013). Development of a conceptual framework for the interaction of city and collective rituals and study of its instances in Ashura rituals. Quarterly Journal of
Islamic Iranian Cit, (12), 27-36.
Diakonoff, I. M. (2001). The History of the Medes (K. Keshavarz, trans). Tehran: Elmi Farhani Press.
Fowler, P.J. (2003). World Hertaige cultural Landscapes 1992- 2002. World Heritage Papers 6 (2003). Paris: Unesco world Heritage center.
Gutschmid, A. (1996). Geschichte Irans und seiner Nachbarländer: von Alexander dem Großen bis zum Untergang
der Arsaciden (German Edition). (K. Jahandari, Trans), Tehran: Elmi Press.
Habibi, M. (2016). From Shar to City. Tehran: University of Tehran Press.
Haji Eidi, H. (2013). Reconstruction of historic fabric to identify urban spaces. Master’s Thesis, Islamic Azad University Sirjan Branch, Iran.
Ibn Hawqal, M. A. (1987). Ṣūrat al-’Arḍ. (J. Sho’ar, trans). Tehran: Amirkabir Press.
• Javadi, S. & Mollasalehi, H. (2017). A Criticism of Iran’s 26 quarterly, No.28| Summer 2020 HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE
Khorramrouei, R.; Pahlavan ,P.;Zarif Asgari, E.; Sabouri, S.; Daneshi, P. & Sadafi Kohneh, P. (2020). Gorgan City: Heritage and Ritual Landscape. Journal of Art & Civilization of the Orient,8 (28), 15-26. DOI: 10.22034/JACO.2020.218052.1142
URL: http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_109805_en.html Religious- Ritual Places: An Analytical Perspective Focusing on
Historical background, journal of art and civilization of the orient 5 (16), 23-32.
Javadi, S. (2018). Sacred places of Mithraism background, journal of art and civilization of the orien,6 (19), 10-15.
Khorramrouei, R., Mahan, A. & Farzin, A. (2019). Explaining the ritualistic concept and studying its crystallization effects. The Journal of Hoviatshahr, 13 (38), 51-62.
Kiani, M. Y. (1986). Gozaresh-e moghadamati-ye kavoosh-haye jorjan gozaresh-ha-ye sevomin majmae-e salane-ye kavoosh-ha va pazhohe-ha-ye bastanshenakhti da Iran [Preliminary Report of the Explorations of Jorjan. Proceedings of the Third Annual Symposium on Archaeological Research in Iran], guided by Firouz Bagherzadeh, Tehran, Iranian Archaeological Center, 1975.
Malek Shahmirzadi, S. (1999). Iran da pish az tarikh; bastanshenasi iran az aghaz ta sepide dam shahrneshini [Iran in Prehistory: Archeology of Iran from the Beginning to the Dawn of Urbanization], Tehran: Research Deputy of Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization.
Malek Shahmirzadi, S. & Nokandeh, J. (2000). Agh tapeh [Aq Tepe], Tehran: Research Deputy of the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization.
Mansouri, S. A. (2013). Ritual Landscape, Manzar, (24), 5-6.
Mansouri, S. A. (2014). Cultural Landscape: An Informal Term, Manzar, (28), 45-46.
Marashi, M. (1984). History of Tabarestan, Royan and Mazandaran, with the efforts of Bernhard Darn, Tehran: Gostareh
Press.
Melville, Ch. (1991). Persian Historiography: A History of Persian Literature. (A. Radeh, Trans), Tehran: Agah Press.
Moghasemi, G. & Espoo Mahallaei, M. (2016). Muharram Ritual in the Historic Fabric of Gorgan, Quarterly Journal of Cultural Studies,(12), 21-28.
Mohaddesi, J. (2010). Ritual and Landscape (Formation of Ritual Urban Landscape in Social Occasions, Manzar, (10), 18-21.
Mokhles, F., Farzin, A. & Javadi, S. (2013). Pir-e Morad Shrine, the Cultural-Religious Perspective of Baneh City, Bagh-e Nazar,23 (10), 27-38.
Mokhlesi, M. A. (2006). Asar-e bastani jorjan dayeratolmaaref-e Islami [Archaeological Works of Jorjan, Great Islamic
Encyclopedia], Volume 10, Tehran: Islamic Great Encyclopedia Foundation, 3-161.
Mortezaei, M. (2007). Study of natural and cultural infrastructure in the formation of Gorgan city (Jorjan) in the Islamic era, Case study: Exploration in the Islamic area of Gorgan city, The Journal
of Athar, (42), 140-146.
Muqaddasi, A. (1982). Ahsan al-Taqasim fi Ma’rifat al-Aqalim. (A. Manzavi, Trans), Tehran: Iran Authors and Translators
Company.
Parchekani, P. (2014). Cultural Heritage Tourism (Tehran’s Cultural Development Capacities). Manzar, (28), 24-29.
Rabino, H. L. (2004). Mazandaran and Astarabad. (V. Gholamali Mazandarani, Trans ), 3rd Edition, Tehran: Elmi Farhani Press.
Roshani, S., Rezvani, N.& Pasian Khamari, R. (2018). Assessing and rating sense of belonging in the neighborhoods of old district of Gorgan. The Journal of Maremat & memari-e Iran, 8 (15), 89-106.
Sharp, R. N. (2003). The Inscriptions in Old Persian Cuneiform of the Achaemenian Emperors. Tehran: Pazineh Press.
Tabari, M. (1996).Tarikh-e tabari [History of the Prophets and Kings]. (A. Payandeh, Trans), Volume 5, Tehran: Asatir Press.