Essay: Iranian Art

Frankly, I don't really know from where I shall start to tell about the Iranian art because of the variety of the subjects in this field. I can just hint at some prominent ones in the general way.

Iranian architecture can be categorized into pre-Islamic (e.g. Perspolis) and post-Islamic (e.g. Ali Qapu). Iranian architects have always been the center of attention because of the skill and delicacy of their works. So, Persian architecture has spread to the outside of Iran (e.g. Soltaniyeh Dome in Samarghand). Moreover, Persian gardens (e.g. Eram Garden in Shiraz), with their traditional styles of garden design, which originated in Persia, have influenced the design of gardens throughout the larger region (e.g. Taj Mahal in India).



Iranian pottery presents a continuous history from the beginning of the Iranian history until the present day. Because of the special geographical position of Iran, being at the crossroads of ancient civilizations and on important caravan routes, almost every part of Iran was involved in pottery making.









Iranian painting has several branches. Tow main types of it can be regarded as "miniature" and "Qahveh Khanehei" Painting (Tea House style of painting). Miniatures are mostly related to the Persian mythology (e.g. Shahnameh Ferdosi's stories) and poetry. They are famous due to their absorbing complexity and delicacy which drown the viewer in the beauty of art. Qahveh Kanehei paintings, divided in to religious, epic, feast and amorous paintings, belong to tea houses with their special atmospheres (e.g. when the narrator tells the stories of Shahnameh in a traditional way).

Iranian carpet is an essential part of Iranian art.
Carpet-weaving dates back to the ancient Persia. Iranian carpets are categorized in to three main types: Farsh/Qali (carpet), Qalicheh (rug), and Gelim (rough carpet including Zilu). Again, the delicate design of Iranian carpets makes them distinguished from the others. I should explain that some Iranian carpets and rugs are too precious, so they are framed and used as decorations (they are called "tablo farsh" meaning framed carpets). As an example, this carpet, named "The History of 2500 Years of Iran", is a kind of precious carpet because of its unique design. It includes all the kings of Iran from Great Kurosh until Mohamad Reza shah (111 persons);moreover, there are four historical events in the middle of the carpet: the war between Alb Arsalan with Romans, the war of shah Abbas with Ottomans, the asking of help of Homayun from Tahmasbe Safavi, and Ferdosi writing the Shahnameh. There is also the coin of each era on the edges. It is made of 80% silk and 20% soft wool and 288 colors are used to weave this carpet.
Below pictures are good examples of framed carpets which their designs belong to miniature artist Mahmoud Farshchian.

Taken from