Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient

Muhammad Esma’il, the Architect, in the Historical Qajar-Era Documents of Shiraz

https://doi.org/10.22034/jaco.2025.492424.1436
Volume 13, Issue 48
Summer 2025
Pages 38-49
Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Ali Asadpour

Associate Professor, Department of Iranian Architecture Studies, Faculty of Architecture and Restoration, Shiraz University of Arts, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract
Systematic and documented knowledge regarding the names and identities of architects in Shiraz during the pre-modern era remains limited, despite a significant portion of the city’s historical fabric dating back to the Qajar period. The aim of this study is to introduce one of the unknown architects of Qajar-era Shiraz, Muhammad Esma’il, through inscriptions and letters preserved in archives, and to identify his role and position (stage) based on the analysis of these documents. The research is interpretive-historical, relying primarily on documents preserved in archival sources. Supplementary data for identifying other individuals mentioned in these documents has been obtained from library resources. Accordingly, the following questions are posed: What role and status did Muhammad Esma’il hold in the society of his time? In which inscriptions on historical buildings in Shiraz is his name recorded? And what kind of social structure do these documents reflect in relation to the concepts of ‘power’ and ‘agents’? The research findings include four documents dated between 1184 and 1912, which collectively indicate that ‘Muhammad Esma’il Mi’mār,’ the architect of the Takyeh or tomb of the Qavām family, was one of the experienced and trusted members of the architectural guild of Shiraz and had assumed at least three roles: ‘constructor of a building,’ ‘experienced architect in evaluating and estimating a building,’ and ‘one of the city residents.’ These documents offer insights into aspects of his professional and family life. Notably, two different seal imprints of his, as well as a seal imprint of his son, ‘Muhammad Kāzem,’ appear in these documents, each used in a distinct context. His collaboration with ‘Ustād Āqā,’ another architect from Shiraz, is also evidenced in these correspondences. Although the title ‘Ustād [Master]’ is not used for Muhammad Esma’il in any of the documents, the findings suggest that he held a distinguished position and was a trusted agent in the champ of power within the city structure. 

Keywords

Qajar
Shiraz Architect
Muhammad Esma’il
Archival Studies
Seal Imprint
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