Calligraphy in Islamic Funerary Architecture: Discourse Analysis of Memory, Space, and Legitimacy

Abstract
Problem: Calligraphy in Islamic architecture goes beyond mere decoration and functions as a visual language that consolidates cultural memory, reinforces political–religious legitimacy, and organizes meaning within ritual spaces. However, in the context of funerary architecture, the systematic relationship of calligraphy with collective memory, identity, and legitimacy has rarely been analyzed in an interdisciplinary and interpretive framework. This gap highlights the necessity of a renewed study.
Purpose: This research, focusing on Islamic funerary architecture, seeks to demonstrate how inscriptions transcend aesthetics and transform into spatial–discursive texts. The main objective is to explain the role of calligraphy in consolidating cultural memory, structuring the discursive order of space, and legitimizing political and social authority.
Method: The study adopts a qualitative–interpretive approach using “visual–spatial discourse analysis.” Data consist of inscription texts, architectural documentation, and visual records from three exemplary cases: the Dome of Soltaniyeh (Ilkhanid, 14th century), Gur-e Amir in Samarkand (Timurid, 15th century), and the Mausoleum of Rumi in Konya (Seljuk–Ottoman). The theoretical framework is built upon cultural memory (Halbwachs, Assmann, Nora), the discourse of space and power (Foucault, Lefebvre), and symbolic capital (Bourdieu).
Findings: Results indicate that funerary calligraphy operates on three interconnected levels: (1) in Soltaniyeh, inscriptions in thuluth and naskh scripts consolidated the Ilkhanid Shiʿi identity; (2) in Gur-e Amir, moral–religious inscriptions legitimized Timurid political power; and (3) in the Mausoleum of Rumi, calligraphy as a mystical symbol reinforced the symbolic capital of the Mevlevi order. Thus, calligraphy functions not only as an artistic element but also as a social and discursive medium in shaping identity and legitimacy within Islamic architecture.