The Persian tradition of dome-building dates back to the earliest Mesopotamian architecture (3,000 BC) when domes became an integral part of buildings due to the scarcity of wood in many areas of the Iranian plateau.
In Ancient Persia, domes were associated with the divine side of life, as their circular shape represented perfection, eternity and the heavens.
The Persian domes then became the inspiration for the domed baldachin of Roman and Byzantine practice, after Alexander the Great conquered the Achaemenid Empire.
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A view of Imam Mosque at Naghsh-e Jahan Square in the central Iranian city of Isfahan[/caption]Domes moved to the forefront of Persian architecture during the Sasanian period (224 to 651 AD) and they evolved through different eras until the Safavid dynasty (15011732) when the last generation of Persian domes were characterized by a distinctive bulbous profile and astonishing tileworks.
In the Persian urban designing, domes in places of worship and public places, including traditional bazars, caravansaries, schools and baths, are designed in such a way that can be seen from different parts of urban or rural area.
The domes are normally double-shelled. While the interior shell is designed to carry the weight of the structure, the exterior shell serves as both a decorative element and as insulation against the elements. The aerodynamic shape of the domes also makes the structures more sustainable.
In Esfahan's Imam Mosque, due to its unique architectural design, if somebody makes a small sound exactly under the dome, the sound strongly resonates throughout the entire vast hall of the grand mosque. The quality has turned the mosque into one of the wonders among outstanding Iranian monuments. The UNESCO World Heritage mosque is a hub for many tourists from different parts of the world who are eager to directly witness the phenomenon at the site.
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A view of the interior shell of the dome of Imam Mosque in Isfahan[/caption]Domes also make the warm weather inside the building move up, allowing fresh air to flow inside the structure.
The symmetric geometric design of the domes also makes the buildings resistant against seismic activities and other pressures on the structure.
Decoration
The use of decorative ornaments in Persian domes blossomed in the Islamic period and it reached its zenith during the Safavid period, especially in the 16th century.
While bricks, tileworks and gold coating or a combination of them are used for the exterior shell of the domes, Persian artists also use breathtaking mirror works to decorate the interior shell which also serves as the ceiling of the structure.
The principle colors used in tileworks are blue, yellow, black, turquoise, pink, aubergine and green, mainly referred to as haft rang - which literally means "seven colors."
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A view of Sheik Lotfollah Mosque at Naghsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan[/caption]Mosaic patterns include imaginative and creative geometric patterns, including triangles, semi-circles and circles in harmony with the structures they are placed on. The patterns later evolved into design of natural subjects, such as plants, trees, animals and human beings, combined with calligraphy works of famous maestros.
The interior shell of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, which is considered as one of the most famous architectural masterpieces in Iran, includes the patterns of Peafowl feathers.
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A view of Sheik Lotfollah Mosque at Naghsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan in seen in this photo. The tileworks resemble the pattern of peafowl feathers.[/caption]Mirror works at the domes of Imam Reza shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad are also viewed as other examples of glorious artistic creations in Persian architecture.
The following is some of the distinguished examples of Persian domes across Iran:
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A view of the Grand Mosque of the Iranian southern city of Yazd[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
An interior view of the dome of Vank Church in Isfahan[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows Soltanieh Dome, Irans biggest dome, in the Iranian city of Zanjan[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
An interior view of Soltaniyeh Dome, Irans biggest dome, in the Iranian city of Zanjan.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows Imam Reza Shrine in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows an interior view of the domes of Nasirolmolk Mosque in the southern Iranian city of Shiraz.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows an interior view of a dome at Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows the interior mirror works of a dome at Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows the interior view of the dome of Sheikh Saffieddin shrine in the northwestern Iranian city of Ardabil.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows a view of Goharshad Mosque next to Imam Reza shrine in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows the interior view of the domes of Said-o Saltaneh traditional Bazaar in the Iranian central city of Qazvin.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows the interior mirror works of the domes of Shah-e Cheragh shrine in the Iranian southern city of Shiraz.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows the interior view of the domes of Vakil mosque in the central city of Shiraz.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows the interior view of the domes of Vakil Bazaar in the Iranian southern city of Shiraz.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows the interior view of the domes of Timcheh Aminodoleh traditional bazaar in the central Iranian city of Kashan.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows the interior tileworkd of the domes of Timcheh Aminodoleh traditional bazaar in Kashan.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows the interior view of the domes of timcheh traditional bazaar in the Iranian capital city of Tehran.[/caption]The photo shows the interior view of the domes of timcheh traditional bazaar in the Iranian capital city of Tehran.
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The photo shows the interior view of the domes of Aq Torab traditional bath in the Iranian city of Hamedan.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows the interior view of the domes of Amir Ahmad traditional bath in the Iranian city of Kashan.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows the interior view of the domes of Amir Ahmad traditional bath in Kashan.[/caption][caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="555"]
The photo shows the interior view of timcheh traditional bazaar in the Iranian city of Qom.[/caption]
