Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient

An Analysis of the Role of Mountain in Mythological Rituals of the Sahand Cultural Landscape Based on Lotman’s Semiotics

https://doi.org/10.22034/jaco.2025.508577.1457
Volume 13, Issue 50
Winter 2026
Pages 22-31
Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Behrouz Tavakkoli 1
Gholamreza Kiani Dehkiani 1
Minoo Gharehbaglou 2

1 Department of Restoration and Rehabilitation of Historical Buildings and Contexts, Faculty of Conservation and Restoration, Art University of Isfahan, Iran

2 Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Iran

Abstract
Ancient rituals and symbolic customs, as cultural signs, are representations of human perception throughout history and expressions of a land’s cultural identity and values. They are shaped within the temporal and spatial context of cultural landscapes. Sahand Mountain, as a cultural-natural landscape with numerous peaks, has played a pivotal role in shaping the rituals of its resident communities, owing to its mythological and ceremonial status in historical narratives and local beliefs. In this context, this research seeks to answer the following question: How do the circumambulation ritual at the Sultan peak of Sahand and the cow sacrifice ritual of Esfanjan on the slopes of this mountain, as semiotic systems, function within the ancient Iranian, Islamic, and Turkic semiospheres and contribute to the representation and transmission of cultural values? The objective of this study is to examine and analyze these rituals through the lens of Juri Lotman’s cultural semiotics in order to understand the role of rituals in representing and enriching the cultural identity of local communities. This research employs a descriptive-analytical method. Data were collected through library and field studies and analyzed based on Juri Lotman’s theory of cultural semiotics. Within Lotman’s theoretical framework, Sahand Mountain is examined as a focal semiosphere. The findings of the research indicate that these rituals, as dynamic semiotic systems, not only reflect cultural beliefs and values but also actively participate in the process of meaning-making and enriching the cultural identity of local communities. These rituals provide a platform for the transmission and preservation of cultural heritage over time.

Keywords

Cultural Landscape
Sahand Mountain
Mythological Rituals
Cultural Semiotics
Juri Lotman
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