Abstract
Mosques play a significant role in the lives of Muslims in addition to acting as places of worship. One of the most significant mosques of Azerbaijan region of Iran is Saheb al-Amr Mosque in Tabriz City. The mosque has unique designs of masks, metal hands and praying tablets made of metallic plates which were installed on the mosque door. Considering the inhibition of using portraiture in mosques and holy places, the present study intends to review the technical and artistic qualities as well as reasons behind installation of such designs on the mosque door. The primary questions of present study are concerned with (a) forms and roles of metal works of art installed on the door of Saheb al-Amr Mosque, and (b) reasons of installing these metallic works of art on the mosque door considering the inhibition of using portraiture in religious places. In order to answer these questions, descriptive-analytical method was adopted. The required information and data of this study were collected through field study and library review. The data analysis method is qualitative and results of this study, following collection of data and its analysis, suggest that the metal works of art were made of low-grade silver and brass by adopting different metalworking techniques which were inspired by contemporary art of Qajar era. The importance of the mosque to the public opinion led to installation of such objects in the mosque since they acted as means of indigent Muslims’ vow fulfilling.
Highlights
Mosques, as main religious centers, play a significant role in lives of Muslims of Iranian-Islamic community
On the door of Saheb al-Amr Mosque of Tabriz City, metallic objects mostly made of low-grade silver were installed
Since the mosque was significantly respected during Qajar era and common people as well as low-class strata of the society associated the mosque with Imam Mahdi, it turned into destination of pilgrimage where vow fulfilment and divine help were sought
Summary
As main religious centers, play a significant role in lives of Muslims of Iranian-Islamic community. In such places, Muslims give up on materialistic affairs and worship their creator. From a Muslim’s viewpoint, mosques are among holiest buildings where presence of God is better felt as Muslims regard mosques as houses of God. In addition to buildings and architectures of mosques, Muslims pay attention to decorations of such places too. Brickwork and metalworking decorations prove the claim. Regarding representative Iranian mosques, one should note that more artistic decorations of a mosque are associated with higher significance of and public attention to that mosques
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