Safavid art is the art of the Iranian Safavid dynasty from 1501 to 1722, encompassing Iran and parts of the Caucasus and Central Asia. It was a high point for Persian miniatures, architecture and also included ceramics, metal, glass, and gardens. The arts of the Safavid period show a far more unitary development than in any other period of Iranian art. The Safavid Empire was one of the most significant ruling dynasties of Iran. They ruled one of the greatest Persian empires since the Muslim conquest of Persia, and with this, the empire produced numerous artistic accomplishments.
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👉 Safavid art in the context of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque
The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque (Persian: مسجد شیخ لطف الله, romanized: Masjed-e Shaykh Lotfollah;) is a Shi'ite mosque, located on the eastern side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Isfahan, Iran. Construction of the mosque started in 1011 AH (1602/1603 CE) and was finished in 1028 AH (1618/1619CE). It is one of the masterpieces of Iranian architecture from the Safavid era. It was designed by the chief architect Muhammad Reza during the reign of Shah Abbas the Great. On the advice of Arthur Upham Pope, Reza Shah Pahlavi had the mosque restored in the 1920s.
The Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, completed in the Safavid style, is one of the most important architectural projects built on Isfahan's maidan, prominent for its location, scale, design, and ornamentation. The mosque is registered, along with the Naghsh-e Jahan Square and other surrounding structures, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and was added to the Iran National Heritage List on 6 January 1932, administered by the Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran.
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Safavid art in the context of Ali Qapu
Ali Qapu (Persian: عالیقاپو, romanized: ‘Ālī Qāpū, lit. 'Grand Gate') is an imperial palace in Isfahan, Iran. It is located on the western side of Naqsh-e Jahan Square, opposite to Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, and had originally been designed as a vast portal entrance to the grand palace which stretched from the square to Chaharbagh Boulevard. UNESCO inscribed the Palace and the Square as a World Heritage Site due to their cultural and historical importance.
The palace is forty-eight meters high and there are six floors, each accessible by a difficult spiral staircase. In the sixth floor, Music Hall, deep circular niches are found in the walls, having not only aesthetic value, but also acoustic. Ali Qapu is regarded as the best example of Safavid architecture and a symbol of Iran's Islamic heritage.