Muqarnas in Iranian Architect

Moqarnas Shah Masque in Isfahan
Moqarnas Shah Masque in Isfahan

Muqarnas is a decorative architecture art that you can see in ornamented vaulting in Islamic architecture. It is in DNA of Islamic Iranian architecture. You can see Muqarnas mostly on ceiling of entrance, Iwan, under dome or half-dome in traditional buildings and mosques.

When you see a muqarnas, you feel like there is no order and its designed like a jungle. But after seeing carefully, you’ll find out that it’s built in a perfect and balanced pattern in magnificent design and full of meaning.

Muqarnas are built on levels on top or beside of each others in a transitional form of design. Converting from a geometrical form to another. It is like there is a goal that this design is following and want to reach the goals which is the center or the pattern.

Moqarnas in Agha Bozorg Mosque
Moqarnas in Agha Bozorg Mosque

What is Muqarnas made of?

Muqarnas are made of blocks and chalk and tile which are built on wooden or metal structures from ceiling headed to the grand. Mostly designed in a stalactite way. It is like a 3D fantasy which is made in reality.

Muqarnas are mostly made in many geographical shapes such as Rectangle, Polygon, Octagonal, Trapezius, Triangle

History of Muqarnas

Oldest founded Muqarnas works are goes back to Sasanian Empire era. It is not that clear the exact time in history for muqarnas. By observing some painting and designs on Candles on ceiling of caves by ancient people, it is possible that their work act as inspiration to later muqarnas works.

Muqarnas in Neyshabur Mosque
Muqarnas in Neyshabur Mosque

It is also obvious that main role of Muqarnas technique was converting squire shape to circle (dome) shape (Tarbee like the picture below). It means Muqarnas had a practical role at the beginning not just a decorative object. As time goes by, Muqarnas becomes a beauty element in architecture too.

Tarbee meas converting shapes to squire
Tarbee meas converting shapes to squire

We have two types of Muqarnas. First those are part of the building and made of building materials. Is carving on ceiling or walls. And second type is those are appended on the walls or ceiling.

When your eyes follows Muqarnas from tails to center, you see the texture is getting smaller with more details.

Muqarnas was before and after Islam which these two are a bit different. Before Islam, Muqarnas were simpler but after entering Islam to Iran, we can see spirituality in arthicheture. By development of earrings in Architecture (Like the picture below) Muqarnas became center of attention.

Etymology and Philosophy of Muqarnas

In ancient Persian/Arabic language, Muqarnas means “a painting on a building, a multi-dimensional building, a curve decorative design on iwans, type of hat. A type of Islamic design, “from Greek “κορωνίς” means curve“. “A type of chalk works on walls or ceilings in stepping design like a Ladder“.

When you see a Muqarnas, small pieces are mostly rounded around a main circle which called “Toranj” or “Shamse“.

How they design and built a Muqarnas work in reality:

Muqarnas with mirrors by Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian

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