Early mediaeval era covers the Sasanian (3rd to 7th cent. A.D.) and
early Islamic (7th to 12th cent. A.D.) periods. This era plays an important
role in the history of architecture of the world, since many of the
building techniques, such as those of squinched domes and pointed arches,
were developed during this period. Yet very little of the architectural
heritage of this period has survived. Many of the structures were
destroyed during the Islamic invasion and many more were destroyed at the
time of the Mongols. Whilst many of the surviving buildings of this period
are already well known, there are several other structures which are still
little known or even unreported . In the present thesis, an attempt has
been made to study in depth, some of the sites of the latter category in
Iran and Afghanistan. Except one of the sites, "The Jame' of Fahraj," the
rest of the structures have never been studied before and some of the sites
such as Deyr-e Gachin, the Kohande' of Herat and its monuments and the
forts of Därzin.are introduced here for the first time. The monuments have
been arranged in a chronological order as follows:
1. Deyr-e Gachin, is a Sasanian caravanserai in the desert between Rey
and Qom. It has been mentioned ia several historical sources from the
10th to 19th century, but its present existence has been unknown to
scholars. It is a fortified enclosure, square in plan, with six towers and
has been built in large Sasanian bricks. The actual Sasanian structure is
to be seen in the curtain walls, the towers and the passages roofed with
elliptical vaults. In the rest of the structure, the Sasanian foundation
stands up to over one metre above the present ground level and the piers
and the roofs have been rebuilt during Islamic period. The structure is
colossal in size and has forty rooms, sixty six raised niches, used as
accommodational chambers, a mosque, a bath and a royal courtyard, all being
still in fine condition.
2. Masjed-e Birun stands outside the old city wall of Abarquh. It is
oriented about 18 degrees to the south of the correct direction of Mecca
and is built with elliptical vaults and earlier forms of arches which
could be of either late Sasanian or early Islamic period. The bricks in
a pier of the building are set both horizontally and vertically, in
alternate courses. Such a method is an old tradition which continued until
the 8th century. Moreover, the elan of the structure is similar to that
of a fire temple. All these clues suggest that the building has originally
been designed for such a purpose. An inscription in the building, datable
not later than 15th century, indicates the building of a minaret there,
as a significance of Islam. This indication may be a reference to the
conversion of the structure to a mosque in this date.
3. Masjed-e Jámet of 'Agdá is situated in an old 'Zoroastrian centre.
It is not oriented in the correct direction of Mecca and its plan is
typical of a fire temple. It stands on a platform about 240 cms. above
the natural ground level. This platform is not a local tradition and in
'Aqdá can only be seen in this particular building. r.11 of these clues
prove that the structure has an older origin and probably has been a
Zoroastrian fire temple, converted to a mosque after the change of
religion in 'Aqdá. The mosque bears an inscription dated 847 H. (1443-44
A.D.). This date falls close to that given by the local historians
mentioning the village as°Zoroastrian centre. So it refers to the date
of a restoration when the building was finally adapted as an Islamic
mosque.
4. The site of the Kohande in Herat and the two shrines located
there, are very little known to scholars. The name Kohandei'(old
fort) is applied to a number of pre Islamic ruins in kfghanistan and
Iran. In Herat, ruins of some of the walls built in stone can still be
seen. Though one of the shrines of the site is locally accented as the
tomb of Abolgasem Mohammad eba Jafar-e Sddeq, but historical evidence
suggests that he did not die in Herat. The plan of the sanctuary of this
shrine, with its four niches is indeed very similar in appearance to a
chit-táq, the typical plan of a Sasanian fire temnle. A further
examination of the structure proved that it is built of stone set in lead
and sand cement. This material represents a rare technique of construction
practised only during; the Sasanian period. Therefore, the shrine should have
been originally a pre-Islamic fire temple and converted to a Muslem shrine
during later periods. The other shrine (tomb of `Abdóllah ebn Movavie) is a
15th century structure.
5. The Jima' mosque of Fahraj, in central Iran is now accepted as
one of the earliest examples in Islamic Iranian architecture. Yet there
is still very little literature published about this monument. This
mosque provides new information about architectural development of its
period. Fahraj is unique in preserving the vaults, arches and incidental
decorations all of which represent the survival of Sasanian methods of
construction during the early Islamic period. On the other hand many
details of this mosque are similar to those of the 8th century Islamic
buildings in Syria. These connections show that during the early Islamic
period the technical exchanges involved included the transmission of
Iranian motifs to the westward of the Eupherates. In particular the
similarity between the decorations of Fahraj and the monuments of the 8th
century indicates that it belongs to this century.
6. Därzin, in south -east Iran, is shown by the Persian and Arabic
texts to have attained some prominence by the 10th century. The ruins of
the three forts, now standing there,have close structural analogies in
Umayyad and QAbbasid works of the eighth century A.D.. This impression is
re- inforced by the use of elliptical vaults and large bricks in these
structures. The characteristic form of the entrance at Dárzin - a small
gateway flanked with two semi- circular towers - and the plan itself,
square with round towers in the corners and an intermediate tower on
each face, are also relevant to such a dating. There are also arrowslits
at Darzin which have the form of an upright lance. In their minor details
they agree exactly with those of al- Ukhatdar. Unce more this similarity
supports our dating of the forts at Dárzin to be the 8th century.
7. The monuments of Bost; In 1948 the Delegation Archeologique
Francaise en Afghanistan began a large excavation at Lashkari- blkzär, a
site near Bost, as a result of which several Ghaznavid sites wee
uncovered. The present writer has studied the fort of Bost and all of the
standing structures, which had been built, in fired brick i.e. the Arch
of Bost, a multistoreyed underground feature known as the well of Bost
and the shrine of Sháhzáde Sarbáz. The arch of Bost has already been
studied by some other scholars ) but there is very little literature about
the other monuments and the fort itself. The shrine of Shähzäde Sarbáz
is an octagonal structure enriched with brick and terracotta decoration.
on the building methods and the decorations used in the shrine, we.
date the building to the Ghaznavid period.
The weel of Bost consists of an overground structure and four levels
underground. It has a fine ventilation and lighting system. Up to 25 metres
below the ground level, it is lighted naturally. Moreover, the
structural problems of an underground construction are all finely solved.
The form of the arches of this building is more advanced than those of the
Ghaznavid period, and the feature is datable as a late 12th or early 13th
century.
8. The shrine of Emám-e Kalán is situated at Sar-e Pol in north
Afghanistan. It was originally a square chamber with a low dome, and there
is an adjoining antechamber which is a later addition. The main chamber is
desigied on the old Khorasani tradition of tomb building, having its
roots in the form of the pre-Islamic fire temples. In particular it is very
similar to the tomb of Esmá'il the Sämánid and that of 'Arab-atá. Its
interior is enriched with carved stucco decoration and inscriptions. Whilst
the style of the construction of the shrine is similar to that of 10th
century, the decoration and inscriptions suggest a later dating - around
the mid 11th century.
