http://www.jaco-sj.com/ Journal of Art and Civilization of the Orient en daily 1 Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0330 http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_242145.html In the Ramadan War, the clash of wills between the two fronts Iran and the United States-Israel enters a new phase, and Iran’s cities become a very important part of the arena of this confrontation. Understanding the events of this confrontation, in order to “pass through” them (in Walter Benjamin’s sense), can provide the ground for an existential cultivation that offers a singular opportunity for the comprehensive flourishing of the land. A deep attention to the landscape of the Ramadan War draws our gaze to a particular mode of the distribution of power. In the past, power was imagined to be distributed in a tree‑like form with a single trunk and a top‑down structure. Today, however, we know that power is distributed in a networked form, without a single trunk and accompanied by complex media instruments. In fact, the distribution of power has an overt and compulsory layer, and another layer that operates through consent and remains hidden (hegemony). This second, deeper layer is what makes the first layer possible. Iran’s resistance to the war crimes committed by the American-Israeli enemy on 28 February 2026 and afterward has, in practice, shown that Iran’s cities possess a distribution of power that has both the intensity and the direction required for confrontation. In this regard, the winning card of Iran’s cities, in comparison with the enemy, is not based on the intensity of power but on the direction of its distribution a direction that is fundamentally different from the enemy’s calculations and, consequently, far more capable in confronting it.The generative direction of power in Iran’s cities emerging from the interactions between the people and their environment has produced a mode of perception whose elements can move along a path that dissolves the hegemony that conceals the master/slave relation of the enemy. This power, which in addition to having religious testimony is also, according to the great Persian poetry, an expression of love (“Servitude and kingship were made clear / Through these two veils, love was concealed” - Rumi). In the Ramadan War, victory belongs to the one who, together with the environment and materiality, transforms hegemony. Since the distribution of power in Iran’s cities is oriented toward freedom and an exit from the master/slave cycle, it generates events those “moments” that have the capacity to shatter the hegemony of dominating power. Although martyrdom and the wounding of the land are heavy burdens, they expose the lie of the benevolence claimed by dominating and enslaving nations, a lie wrapped in networked hegemony (“a beautiful ship!”). And with the collapse of this hegemony, its instruments lose their effectiveness. From a technical standpoint, today it is possible beyond the opaque veil of orthogonal streets and 60/40 buildings to discern the distribution of power in the Iranian city by reflecting deeply on the presence and rhizomatic gathering of the people:The initiation of population density emerging from the dispersion of alleyways as convergent neighborhoods.The connection of these dense clusters through passages where the call to freedom is openly expressed.The merging of these clusters in behavioral plazas shaped by altruism.The synergy of power within a network of ensembles driven by devotional, social, and functional wills.The redistribution of the strength generated by this unifying togetherness, in the form of Iran’s will as the spirit of a spiritless world.This distribution of power unfolds at automobile-oriented asphalt intersections whose one‑dimensional reading is not recognized by the social forces themselves. This opens a pathway to understanding the multidimensional capacities of the city and its relation to power as a means of existential elevation. It is hoped that, in the country’s development, cities can be understood as embodiments of a distribution of power oriented toward freedom, rather than as neutral environments. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_233568.html Celestial symbols such as the moon and the star have long represented diverse meanings across various cultures and have been prominently featured in applied arts. This comparative study explores these two motifs within the artistic contexts of Safavid Iran and Edo-period Japan, aiming to reveal their cultural and symbolic significance. The central research question investigates the similarities and differences in the form, content, and function of the moon and star motifs across these two cultural landscapes. The objective is to analyze these symbols in Safavid ceramic plates and Japanese Edo-period textiles, with an emphasis on their symbolic meanings and aesthetic contexts. The research employs a descriptive-analytical methodology with a comparative approach, based on data collected through library and documentary resources. Findings indicate that in both cultures, the moon and star motifs are intertwined with concepts of cosmology, ritual, and visual aesthetics. In Safavid Iran, these motifs are largely associated with mystical meanings and cosmic order, whereas in Edo Japan, they are more closely linked to nature, indigenous beliefs, and the cyclical perception of time. The convergence and divergence in the application and interpretation of these symbols underscore their capacity to express profound cultural insights and highlight the richness of cross-cultural symbolic expression in Eastern artistic tradition. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_235261.html The study and understanding of ancient technologies used for producing and utilizing metals in various objects across different regions of Iran are of great importance. With the invention of copper-based alloys, such as tin bronze and arsenical bronze, ancient craftsmen achieved a remarkable level of technical knowledge and metallurgical skill. The archaeological site of Taj Amir Cemetery is located on the southern slopes of the Dena mountain range, in the eastern part of Yasuj (Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province, southwestern Iran). This cemetery was identified in 2009 CE during construction activities related to the new library of Yasuj University of Medical Sciences. Excavations at the site yielded a collection of metal artifacts, particularly bronze objects, from burial contexts. In the present study, a selection of the better-preserved bronze artifacts—chosen for their diversity in form and function and belonging to contemporaneous burial layers of the Taj Amir (Dehnow) cemetery were subjected to laboratory analyses, including metallography, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The objective was to obtain a clearer understanding of alloying technology and manufacturing techniques during the mid-second millennium BCE. For this purpose, microstructural analysis, scanning electron microscopy with EDS, and XRF elemental analysis were employed to determine the compositional and structural characteristics of the samples. The results revealed that two of the analyzed specimens were made of tin bronze alloys with relatively consistent tin contents, indicating that the ancient metallurgists had considerable knowledge of tin control in the bronze-making process. Moreover, one sample exhibited a high silver content, confirming its silvery appearance. Structural evidence suggests that these objects were produced by smelting, casting, and subsequent hammering, involving repeated cycles of cold working and annealing during the shaping process. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_238419.html The examination and understanding of the concepts and teachings of Islamic mysticism within the underlying structure of painting, and reflection upon them, constitute essential research requirements in the contemporary era. Mysticism is an intuitive and love-centered perspective on existence, and art within Islamic civilization has drawn upon this outlook, thereby attaining a status distinct from that of art in the West. The presence of the artist in Islamic civilization extends beyond that of a mere creator of works; it is a presence imbued with knowledge of the Truth—knowledge rooted in wisdom and esoteric beliefs that manifests itself through lines, geometric motifs, letters, and colors. This study investigates the manner in which the ideas of Husayn ibn Mansur al-Hallāj have influenced and been reflected in the works of contemporary artists in the Islamic world, with Especially the works of Erol Akyavash and Mansoureh Hosseini. The research aims to identify the impact of mystical thought on the works of artists in the Islamic world and to examine symbolic expression in the selection of visual elements, employing a descriptive–analytical methodology and drawing on documentary sources. The findings of the research indicate that Iranian–Islamic mysticism is present throughout the surviving works of these two contemporary artists, and that in certain themes—particularly in relation to the thought of Ḥallaj—they exhibit a perceptible affinity. Moreover, a number of contemporary artists of the Islamic world have drawn inspiration from al-Ḥallāj’s ideas, incorporating them into their artistic works in the form of abstract compositions with an emphasis on textual and discursive elements. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_238418.html The Kermanshah region in the Central Zagros, with prominent archaeological sites like Ganj Dareh and Godin Tepe, is considered one of the main centers for the formation of culture and architecture in the prehistoric period of Iran. Despite numerous excavations, the focus of most previous research has been primarily on ceramics and tools, while the physical and spatial analyses of the architecture have received less attention. This shortcoming has prevented a proper understanding of the connection between construction patterns and the social and ritualistic structures of the early communities in this region. This research focuses on Ganj Dareh (Layer D, Late Neolithic PPNB) and Godin Tepe (Period VI, Early Chalcolithic) to identify and compare the architectural patterns, spatial organization, and ritualistic elements in these two sites. The main research questions are: 1) What role did the architectural innovations of Ganj Dareh play in the formation of the physical structures of contemporaneous sites such as Tepe Zagheh, Sang-e Chakhmaq, and Sheikhi Abad? 2) What are the similarities and differences between the architectural pattern of Godin Tepe and other prominent sites of the Chalcolithic period, including Susa III and Tall-e Malyan? The current research is based on pure architectural analysis and spatial organization analysis. The data includes excavation reports, plans, maps, and published visual documents from the studied sites. The research process was conducted in three steps: 1) Collection and documentation of architectural data. 2) Structural, spatial, and physical element analysis. 3) Comparative analysis at the regional scale. In this interpretive approach, each architectural element is examined not as an isolated object, but as a reflection of the spatial and cultural order of the prehistoric society. The findings indicate that Ganj Dareh, with its dense structure, square plans, and contiguous organization, reflects the initial experiences of sedentary settlement and the close intertwining of life and ritual. In contrast, Godin Tepe, with its rectangular spaces, symmetrical doorways, and central depressions, is indicative of a more advanced stage of architectural organization during the Chalcolithic period. These similarities and differences suggest the existence of networks for cultural exchange and the transfer of architectural patterns across the Iranian Plateau, and they solidify Kermanshah’s position as one of the centers of architectural innovation in the Central Zagros during prehistory. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_236860.html The Safavid era is often referred to as the “golden age of caravanserai construction”, with Šāh Abbās referred to as “father of caravanserai construction” in Iran. During this period, the prosperity of trade on the one hand and consolidation of relations between Iran and Europe on the other, the construction of roads and roadside facilities flourished greatly. Many travelers took advantage of these accommodation buildings, traversing the roads of Iran. European travelers described these facilities in considerable detail and introduced lesser-known types of accommodation buildings. However, no independent research has yet been conducted based solely on travelers’ reports regarding these facilities. The main objective of this study is to identify and classify the types of Safavid-era accommodation buildings from the perspective of non-Iranian travel writers. This fundamental qualitative research employed a mixed-method approach. Data were collected from 20 travelogues from the Safavid period, and the resulting information was analyzed through an analytical-comparative method to produce the final typology. The accommodation buildings that travel writers spoke of and described in detail included Sābāt and Langar, Rebāt, Xān and Xāneqāh, Karbāt and Caravanserai, Mehmān-xāne and Urban Caravanserai, Bridges and Qahve-xāne, Royal Residences and Daskare, Residential Villages and Private Houses, Religious Sites, Tents and Mobile Structures, and Temporary Stations. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_239703.html Time, one of the most complex concepts in the history of human thought, has long been of interest to scholars across disciplines. This inherent complexity has made the philosophical representations of time in works of art a key topic in interdisciplinary studies. Understanding the mechanisms of these representations, while deepening our grasp of the worldviews that govern artistic eras, opens new ground for the philosophical analysis of works of art. The research examines the representation of time’s physical nature in 15th-century paintings. This study, which focuses on two artistic schools of the East and the West (Iranian painting centered on the works of Junayd Baghdadi and the Italian Renaissance with an emphasis on the works of Masaccio), highlights cultural differences in the perception of time and reveals philosophical-artistic connections. This fundamental research, with a qualitative-comparative approach, analyzes six prominent works by Junayd Baghdadi and Masaccio. The data were collected from available sources through library research, and the visual and semantic elements of the works were analyzed using a descriptive-analytical approach, with “architecture in painting” as the key medium. Finally, through comparative analysis, the similarities and differences in the attitudes of these two schools towards the concept of time were inferred. The comparative analysis of the works revealed two distinct systems of representation of the concept of time. In Western art (e.g., Massaccio), time is represented linearly and instantaneously, using techniques such as single-point perspective, realistic architecture, and physical depth, which reflect the Aristotelian and anthropocentric worldview of the Renaissance. In contrast, the Eastern school (Junayd Baghdadi), employing a spatial perspective, symbolic architecture, and simultaneous representation of events, presents time in a cyclical and transcendental form rooted in the wisdom of Ishrāqi and a mystical attitude. These two modes of representation, respectively, exhibit predictive correspondences with the concepts of Newtonian physics and Einsteinian relativity. By emphasizing the connection between philosophical worldviews and artistic expression, this research opens new horizons in interdisciplinary studies of the philosophy of art, the history of science, and visual semiotics. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_229935.html The identification and analysis of decorative elements in vernacular architecture not only contribute to the preservation of the nation’s invaluable cultural and historical heritage but also enable the reinterpretation of the underlying principles and rules embedded in past designs for application in contemporary architecture. Among the most distinctive elements in the vernacular architecture of Mazandaran—particularly in the city of Sari—is the Shir-sar, a symbolic motif that, beyond its aesthetic function, embodies cultural beliefs, social status, and an identity-shaping role within the urban landscape. This research, adopting a descriptive–analytical approach and drawing upon both library-based studies and field observations, undertakes a comparative examination of Shir-sars employed in the historic houses of Sari. The selected cases include prominent aristocratic residences such as the Hossein Khan Salar Kolbadi House, the Kolbadi House, the Fazeli House, the Nazari House, the Mirgati House, the Sadeghian House, and the Sardar Jalil House, alongside a number of vernacular dwellings belonging to the general populace, which feature simpler Shir-sars. The findings indicate that Shir-sars served not only as ornamental and identity-giving elements on façades but also as reflections of the social and cultural layers of Sari’s community. These insights may provide a foundation for the creative recontextualization of vernacular elements in contemporary architectural design, thereby reinforcing architectural identity and enhancing the urban landscape of Mazandaran. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_239435.html Audience studies in theatre, despite their expansion in recent decades, remain one of the most challenging areas of theatre theory. While contemporary theorists—from Susan Bennett to Erika Fischer-Lichte—have sought to redefine the role of the spectator within the performance event, classical Eastern approaches to spectatorship have received comparatively little attention in cross-cultural and comparative research.The aim of this article is to examine the concept of the autopoietic feedback loop in Erika Fischer-Lichte’s aesthetics of performance and to compare it with models of audience interaction articulated in key theoretical texts of classical Eastern theatre, namely the Nāṭyaśāstra attributed to Bharata and Zeami Motokiyo’s treatises (including Fūshikaden and Kakyo). The central question of the article is: in what ways do Bharata’s and Zeami’s approaches to performer–spectator interaction converge with or diverge from Fischer-Lichte’s notion of the autopoietic feedback loop?This qualitative study employs a descriptive–analytical method and focuses on three fundamental components of the autopoietic feedback loop—role reversal, community-building, and contact—examining them in relation to audience-centred approaches in Sanskrit theatre and Japanese Noh. The findings indicate profound affinities between these theatrical systems in their emphasis on a “live, community-generating relation” among bodies present in performance. At the same time, significant cultural differences emerge: whereas Eastern traditions foreground inner transformation and the spiritual dimension of performance, Fischer-Lichte’s Western perspective highlights the transient, unpredictable and processual nature of performer–spectator interaction. Ultimately, by bringing together perspectives from distinct historical periods and cultural contexts, this comparison enables a convergent dialogue between East and West and opens up a new horizon for rethinking performer–spectator relations within a global theatre landscape. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_240980.html This article examines the representation of Iranian national identity in cultural heritage from the first to fifth centuries AH, with a particular focus on the roots, mechanisms, and historical continuity of archaic (pre Islamic) nationalism in Iran. The study aims to explain how Iranian national identity was formed and reproduced through culture, myths, language, and symbols, and to clarify the role of cultural heritage in consolidating this identity in opposition to the “Arab Other.” The research adopts Michel Foucault’s discourse analytic approach to uncover the underlying configurations of knowledge, power, and subjectivity in their historical context and to trace the structure and persistence of cultural nationalism. In parallel, an ethnosymbolist perspective is employed to conceptualize the contribution of symbols, myths, and rituals to the formation and stabilization of this nationalist discourse. The findings demonstrate that Iranian national identity cannot be reduced to a by product of modern state building or Western influence but emerges from a long term, cumulative process embedded in the cultural memory and historical experience of Iran. Texts such as Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, together with Islamic period textiles and other artistic and cultural artefacts, function as key media for re articulating ancient myths and histories and for reinforcing collective memory. The analysis suggests that archaic Iranian nationalism is deeply rooted in historical tradition and collective memory and is characterized by a predominantly cultural, spiritual, and symbolic orientation that is continuously reproduced through artistic and cultural creativity. Overall, the article underscores the value of a historical cultural lens on Iranian nationalism and highlights the central role of cultural heritage in shaping and transmitting national self consciousness. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_240983.html The emergence of visual modernity in Qajar Iran has often been explained in historical and art-historical scholarship as the result of a direct encounter between Iran and European aesthetic concepts. However, a comparative examination of the routes through which these concepts travelled reveals that the decisive mediating role of the Ottoman Empire acting as an active cultural filter and an initial locus of localization has largely been overlooked. The central problem addressed in this study concerns the actual trajectory through which visual modernity took shape in Iran and the factors that enabled the formation of a distinctive, multilayered version of modernity during the Qajar period. Accordingly, the study assumes that visual modernity in Iran was not the outcome of direct transmission from Europe but the result of a circulation of visual concepts from Europe to the Ottoman Empire and subsequently to Iran, during which the Ottomans functioned as agents of adaptation, refinement, and cultural alignment with the Islamic world. The aim of this research is to reconstruct this multi-stage trajectory and to explain how modern visual concepts were reinterpreted within the Shiʿi tradition, courtly structures, and Iranian aesthetic sensibilities. Employing a descriptive-analytical method based on documentary study, comparative visual analysis, and the examination of cultural transfer networks, the findings indicate that European artistic concepts were first tested and adapted in Ottoman artistic institutions before being transferred to Iran in a culturally modified form. Iran, in turn, re-localized these adapted concepts by integrating them with its own traditional, religious, and aesthetic frameworks, thereby producing the hybrid visual styles characteristic of Qajar art. Ultimately, the study concludes that Qajar visual modernity was neither mere imitation of the West nor a rupture with tradition, but the outcome of a multilayered process of conceptual circulation and creative localization within an inter-civilizational sphere linking Europe, the Ottoman Empire, and Iran. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_242609.html Music is considered not only as an art but also as a cognitive and cultural system with an ancient history, and Iran, as one of the centers of Eastern civilization, has played a fundamental role in the formation and transmission of musical knowledge. In the contemporary period, with the introduction of theoretical concepts of Western music into the Iranian educational system, some of the specialized vocabulary of this art has undergone transformation, and the coexistence of two different linguistic areas, namely vocabulary derived from ancient sources and terms derived from European languages, is seen in contemporary Iran’s musical literature. The main question of the research is whether the introduction of these new terms has been accompanied by some kind of conceptual and semantic transformation? And the secondary question is whether Iranian musicians have adapted them to the lexical structure of Persian language in the direction of the civilizational interaction between East and West? The present study, with an interdisciplinary approach, examines the path of evolution and integration of some important musical terms in the educational resources and scientific discourse of Iranian musicians in the contemporary period and will consider some historical sources to reveal the civilizational interaction between East and West in contemporary Iran’s musical literature and the role of musical vocabulary as an indicator of the dynamism of Iranian civilization in the face of Western-influenced musical modernity. In this path, the method of historical study of sources, extraction of frequent words, discourse analysis of concepts, and examination of linguistic power relations based on the theoretical frameworks of Bourdieu, Barthes, and Agawu are used to examine both the historical layers and the cultural-civilizational implications of words. Finally, it will be clear that the musical terms of contemporary Iran provide an example of multicultural life and creative digestion of Western civilization in the context of this Eastern civilization. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_242610.html Statement of the problem: Coffeehouse painting, an independent movement of Iranian folk painting, is a manifestation of self-taught art and reflects the cultural and religious identity of the society. Despite numerous studies on the history and themes of this art, examining the components of self-taughtness in its visual structure has received less attention. Research Objective: The present study was conducted with the aim of systematically recognizing and analyzing the components of self-taughtness in coffeehouse paintings and gaining a deeper understanding of the artistic and cultural characteristics of this movement. Research Method: This is a descriptive-analytical and developmental study. The samples were purposefully selected from the works of four prominent coffeehouse painters to cover the diversity of religious, epic, and folk themes in them. The research method is a combination of content analysis, case study, and hermeneutics. The data were qualitatively analyzed and the components of self-study were extracted and included escape from reality, multiple narratives, expressive expression, variable perspective, and classical disproportions, and organized in a table. Conclusion: Analysis of the works showed that Qahveh-khaneh painters, relying on lived experience and individual creativity, deviated from classical rules of perspective and proportion, and instead utilized hierarchical perspective and expressive approaches. The simultaneous presence of multiple narratives, changes in viewpoint, symbolic and exaggerated use of color and light, as well as the disregard for natural proportions in figures and space, indicate a departure from reality and a tendency towards expressive representation. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_242611.html The focus of this study is on analyzing and classifying various types of javab-e avaz in Iranian classical music. The saz o avaz performances in the album Nava Morakkabkhani serve as a comprehensive and precise sample of typological forms of javab-e avaz; therefore, the album has been selected as the case study, since it fulfills both the scientific and practical objectives of the research in a reliable manner. Within this framework, different categories of javab-e avaz are identified and systematized as follows: responses dependent on modal factors (mod-pardaz and mod-gardan); responses dependent on metric factors (Mowzoon and Nimemowzoon); responses resembling literary formal patterns (Vajara, Mostazādi, and Talmihi/Tazmini); and responses that either remain close to or diverge from the vocal line (Moobemoo, Dorageh, and Chandrageh). Emphasizing the significance of balancing the vocal line and the javab-e avaz within the saz o avaz genre is another objective of the research, highlighting how they are mutually interdependent in shaping a coherent performance. Thematic analysis is utilized in the research to examine the complex and intricate structures of Saz O Avaz, with a particular emphasis on Javab-e Avaz and its internal connections with the vocal line. Defamiliarization is the basis of the theoretical framework, which translates Javab-e Avaz as a device that challenges auditory expectations and emphasizes musical language. From this perspective, the analysis also gains an explicitly interdisciplinary dimension. The proposed typologies therefore contribute to a deeper understanding of performance structures in saz o avaz within Iranian classical music and can open new directions for future scholarly research in this field. http://www.jaco-sj.com/article_243066.html Calligraphy in Islamic Funerary Architecture: Discourse Analysis of Memory, Space, and LegitimacyAbstractProblem: 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.