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Showing 9 results for Temple


Volume 1, Issue 1 (10-2011)
Abstract

Mithraism rituals can be considered the most ancient Iranian religion, that based on available information, the scape and sphere of influence not only large parts of Grate Iran, but also parts of India and Europe, especially in the first centuries AC, impressed, as on most of the information and documents that Western Scholars were presented, how the law plays an important role in shaping some of the traditions of Christianity in Europe. The aim of this research to understand the spatial structure Mithraeum architecture in Europe, as illustrated in the documents properly reflect the performance space is Mithraism of Europe. The main research question is that, how important Features of the original architecture and atmosphere of the Mithraeum architecture was in Europe? Descriptive and analytical research and data collection methods to the documents. The statistical properties of the first fifty of the Mithraea that during their investigation, which number about eight samples of documents is illustrated more about them, and took a closer look. This theoretical framework is based on the phenomenon and characteristics of cultural and religions factors in shaping how the ritual space is particularly important temples. The research results show that almost that many in Europe have been found from most of Mithraism architectural structures that were more or less similarity of cultural characteristics and world views of Mithraism. This structure consists of a rectangular space, which were divided into three parts that together form a line a space of three groups. The middle space, where more traffic and double the space in which two, people were used to deployment. In the end of temple, there was a place that most cases were above a floor and place the person or persons of higher authority, and performing some ritual ceremonies such as prayer and sacrifice the animals.

Volume 6, Issue 2 (9-2014)
Abstract

Sumerian tablets are the oldest clay tablets known to exist, dating back to the mid-4th millennium BC. Babylonians have also inscribed upon clay tablets, and kept them in their organized libraries. The excavation of ancient Elba (Tell Mardikh) located in the south west of Aleppo (Halab) city, Syria, uncovered the remains of an important library. Another collection was discovered at Ras Shamra near Latakia, Syria; wich contained several deposits of cuneiform clay tablets written in Ugaritic. The library at Ugarit held an important piece of thousand - year innovation of the Middle East. On excavation of Hattusa, the major city of Hittites situated in Anatolia, (Turkey), thousands of clay tablets were found. Through centuries, the librarians of this library employed skills from other libraries of the Middle East, and found out how to inscribe their desired tablet. Thereafter, the royal library of Ashurbanipal was found in the archaeological site of Kouyunjik near the city of Mosul in Iraq. In relation to the libraries of Egypt, it should be noted that the oldest Egyptian literary works arose from the temples describing the basis of religion, which were and kept in the library or document archive of the temples. The other archive is the treasury of Persepolis, which is one of the oldest archives located in Iran.  

Volume 6, Issue 3 (10-2014)
Abstract

This article seeks to answer this question that how the Buddist art could grow and develop in the Central Asian countries. The Muryan Empire of the Bactrian State (321-185 BC), in the mid-third century BC, tried to promote the Buddhist sect in the West. The Kushanas (near 100 BC) stablished a new civilization in the history of Bactria. Afterwards, the Kushanas Empire became the eastern neigbour of the Sasanian Empire. Then Kushanaz territory was conquered by the Sasanian Empire. From the sttelement period of the Central Asia Budhist, four kinds of art works have been discovered: 1) Graffiti; 2) Architecture of Buddhist temples; and 3) Buddhist iconography; and 4) Kushanas art and jewelery. The ancient city of Termez in the south of Uzbakistan has an important role in this sect as a main center of Buddhism. In the north part of Termez, in a place named “Qara Tepe”, of an anciant monastery have been discovered in including the Khalchyan palace. Afrasiab, Samarkand in Uzbekistan is the most important archaeological site that underscores the art works of this period. What connects Marve in the Sasanian Turkmenstan with the East is a stupa Buddhist temple built outside the wall of the city.

Volume 8, Issue 33 (6-2020)
Abstract

Abstract:
Folk literature is an important tool for discovering the mechanisms of different nations' traditions, rituals, and customs in a social system that seeks to obtain sociological and anthropological data, and examine the elements of cultural identity throughout history. Hence, many folk themes can be studied in local literature, especially in the novel of fig tree temples. Therefore, the present study, borrowing a descriptive-analytical method, has investigated the elements and components of folk literature in this novel. The results indicate that Ahmad Mahmood sought to link the mythical roots with the popular beliefs in this novel, portraying the functions of novel's personalities versus nature. On another level, he has depicted the beliefs and superstitions of the southern people.
 

Keywords: Folk literature; fig tree of temples; tree worship; beliefs; superstitions.
 
Research Background
Many articles have been written in the field of tree planting, vegetation, and beliefs about it, among which the following can be mentioned: Aydanlow, Sajjad (2005) "The mythical theme of the plant's growth from the man and its reflection in Shahnameh and Persian literature"; Fazeli et al. (2013) "Cultural approach to plants and trees in mythology and literature"; Ansari et al. (2014) "Investigating and classifying the mythical idea of ​​the male tree in the folk tales of Hormozgan".
 
Aims, questions, assumptions
The purpose of this study is to explain the view of the marble vision of Ahvaz considering the elements of nature, especially the tree and the beliefs about it in the novel The Tree of the Temple of Figs, which are rooted in the myth of tree worship in ancient Iran. Therefore, the present study seeks to answer how nature has led to the formation of popular beliefs in this novel? What factors have influenced the formation of popular beliefs in this influential novel? Among the elements of nature, the tree has always been praised and sanctified by human beings due to its constant revival and the eternal forces it contains. Many factors such as customs, special the climate of Ahvaz, awareness of the future events, poverty, and ignorance in the form of public beliefs are significant in this novel.
Discussion
Climatic literature reflects the characteristics of a particular climate that, in the light of sociological studies, can provide important information such as beliefs, convictions, words, terms, songs, proverbs, climatic conditions, cover, etc. The climate literature seeks to provide a natural picture of the network within socialism in the literary texts, and seeks to explain as much as possible the relationship between man and nature and the impact of both sides on the environment. In this line of study, an author's stylistic discernment as well as the discovery of elements that distinguish a particular climate from other climates could be achieved. Ahmad Mahmoud, creating a tree called "Temple Fig" which is one of the native elements of the South, has rotated the characters of this novel around the axis of this tree and tries to explain their thoughts and actions in the nature. In this novel, he seeks to show tree worship and the beliefs about it. Thus, the novel contains many mythical concepts such as tree worship, tree planting, vows for it, and healing, as well as popular beliefs such as amulets, hanging dates, and shelter. In this novel, the horseshoe was set on fire, the votive offerings were given on Tuesday, and so on.
Honoring the fig tree of temples is so significant that people perform special rituals such as bowing to the tree, engaging in closing, and making vows to meet the needs of the tree. Because the tree is the symbol of revival, and some trees and plants have medicinal properties, some of the characters in this novel have been directed to the tree to cure disease. The novel refers to the "burial of the fetus under the fig tree of temples " which refers to the human plant or the kinship of man with the plant. Hanging a doll from a tree is one of the rain-worshiping rituals portrayed in this novel by women.  In the ritual of rain, "a doll or a scarecrow or a person with a change of face is present. “Rain dolls are rooted in the Anahita myth, the goddess who has been revered and worshiped by the people of ancient Iran to the extent that many shrines and statues were built for these goddesses” (Zolfaqari,2016, p. 91).
Conclusion
Ahmad Mahmoud, in his novel The Fig Tree of Temples, refers to the man's inseparable relationship with nature, and therefore chooses the name of his novel from nature to double the man's attention to nature. Among the manifestations of nature, we can mention the "tree", about which many beliefs have been formed. The continual revival of the tree, its immortality, and its latent forces on the one hand, and man's inability to do so on the other, have led to the formation of sacred and ritual beliefs in different eras among the people, so much so that at a historical juncture, the tree and the manifestations of nature, as vegetative gods, were given serious attention by human beings, which can be observed in the novel The Fig Tree of Temples. The fig tree of temples, which is unique to desert cities and has an amazing growth, is considered as a prelude to entering the public beliefs of Ahvaz. It, then, depicts the various forms of tree worship that stem from the totemic connection of the man with the plant.
Most men and women engage in this behavior, which can lead to the groom standing on the roof of the hallway and the bride passing under it, the votive vow of Tuesday, the horseshoe in the fire, and the chanting. The author also mentioned carrying amulets, hanging donkeys, sheltering eyes, and so on. Factors influencing the formation of popular beliefs in this novel include culture, customs, beliefs, specific climate of Ahvaz, escapism, people's insight about nature, awareness of future conflicts, poverty, and ignorance.
 
 
References
  •  Ansari, Z., Jamali, A & Zareei, B. (2014). Investigating and classifying the mythical idea of ​​the male tree in the folk tales of Hormozgan. Mystical and mythological literature, 10(36), 35-65.
  •  Aydanlow, S. (2005). The mythical theme of the plant's growth from man and its reflection in Shahnameh and Persian literature. Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Mashhad. 15(13), 105-132.
  •  Fazeli, F., Nikouei, A & Naqdi, E. (2013) Cultural approach to plants and trees in mythology and literature. Literature research, 7(23), 9-33.
  •  Zolfaqari, H. (2016). Review and analysis of rain show and rain reading plays in the general literature of Iran (relying on shark tours and rain brides). Kohan Nameyeh Adabe Parsi, 7(4), 61- 99.

Mitra Azad, Mohammad Reza Pour Jafar, Mahmoud Tavousi,
Volume 12, Issue 3 (1-2005)
Abstract

Various opinions have been put forward about Achaemenian beliefs and thoughts, especially about the religious beliefs of the Achaemenian kings such as Cyrus the Great. Scholars rely on Herodotus’s statements that “they didn’t look at building temples and altars as a religious tradition, they refer believing in these things as ignorance and foolishness in the converse opinion to Greeks. They didn’t believe that Gods had the same nature of human. In their religion, Zeus (Ahura-Mazda) was the sign of the blue dome of the sky and was a wise master. Their traditions were going to the highest peaks of mountains praying and offering sacrifice to God. Sun, moon, fire, water, wind and other divine existences are only bodiless Gods that Iranians pray and offer them sacrifices.” According to Herodotus Iranians in the Achaemenian era, had no idol, temple and altar. In this article we have used the most accessible sources and references to study Achaemenian religion and their temples. Various opinions from the researchers have been cited here. The historic art of the Achaemenians, the inscriptions, and fire alters quadrangles and fire temples (or Brasmadana) the Achaemenian shrines which were generally located in holy areas are being focused in this article.
Javad Alaei Moghadam, Seyyed Rassol Mousavi Haji,
Volume 24, Issue 3 (9-2017)
Abstract

In the early 21st century, during an excavating of a village on Farahan plain, some remains of an important monument including part of a large brick column and several walls were discovered. For a decade, despite national registration, no scientific and comprehensive study was performed on these remains until the time when the remains captured the attention of the authors of this paper during their archaeological study of the Farahan plain. Therefore, considering two main objectives, the chronology of the discovered pieces and determining their real identity, initially, a comprehensive archaeological survey was carried out on the Fardaghan region and samples were collected from different areas of this plain; afterwards, the cultural data were typologically compared. At the next stage, historical evidence was sought in written sources using a historical approach in order to determine the identity of the site. The results indicate that the current building belonged to the Sassanid period that has been also used during the Islamic era after a functional change. It is highly probable that this building is the one mentioned in some written sources such as Ibn Yaghoubi’s Mokhtaser Alboldan. In early Islamic centuries, this fire temple was changed into a fortified castle.
Javad Shekari Niri,
Volume 25, Issue 1 (12-2018)
Abstract

The Maragheh observatory site was excavated in 1970. Prior to the excavation, there was very little known about this architectural masterpiece. The observatory was constructed on the top of a hill called "Rasad Dāghi". In fact, Samarkand and Jaipur observatories had derived the idea and astronomical units from the Maragheh construction. So, we can use those as comparisons while aiming to better understand and interpret the existing works in order to properly reconstruct the Maragheh observatory. Compared to similar monuments in India, the Maragheh observatory can be renovated only using the Maragheh architectural units. Comparing existing evidence of observation, including archaeological, historical and scientific evidence, will lead us to better understand the realities of the original design. With the reference to the architecture of the existing ancient observatories, the hypothesis was that through a comparative study, an architectural algorithm/pattern could be found and used to determine the shape and arrangement of the Maragheh observatory. The main objective here is to compare the historical and archaeological evidence of Iran's observation instruments with other countries in order to develop the knowledge of Archaeoastronomy. The sky and astronomical phenomenon provided the tools for time reckoning, calendar organization and celestial navigation that supported those human voyages.
Iran Amin Moradi, Iran Sepideh Bakhtiari, Iran Sahar Bakhtiari,
Volume 28, Issue 3 (7-2021)
Abstract

It is well documented that the Mongol rule in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries fostered the direct exchange of ideas and practices between diverse cultures and religions. From this point of view, while the Mongols believed in shamanism, they embraced other religions for several reasons, ranging from a personal desire for the spiritual gains to issues of control and political and social cohesion. Hence, century of Mongol domination in Great Iran (1256-1353 CE) witnessed the practice of Buddhism, Manichaeism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. While the importance of the Ilkhanid period for the architectural history of the Islamic World has generally been acknowledged, explanations for the appearance of rock-cut buildings in Iran under the Mongol dominion, in contrast with Islamic architecture, are not very satisfying. By focusing on field studies, the aim is to catalogue rock-cut architecture of Ilkhanid Iran with certain parallels with Buddhist architecture, isolate construction phases of monuments of this type in northwest Iran. According to the results, while an investigation of Buddhist architecture in northwest Iran would reveal a vibrant portrait of life in Ilkhanid Iran by illustrating how Ilkhanid architecture responds to various faiths and traditions, it would be possible to have a fresh look at the sociopolitical history of Islamic Iran in collision with the Mongol culture.
Amin Moradi,
Volume 29, Issue 1 (1-2022)
Abstract

The village of Viyar is known for its impressive rock-cut architecture called "Dash Kasan Temple." This monument is special in its architectural layout; two large scale dragon snakes carved out of cliffs, also the creation of a vast open area by excavating solid rock are the only examples in Iranian art and architecture. Although most of the debates generated hitherto on the identity of the so-called Dash Kasan are centered on a temple construction with a Mongol background in the Ilkhanid capital of Sultaniyya, there has been less architectural evidence to support this idea. Hence, the nature and the extent of the earlier studies are not sufficient to substantiate the architectural discourse in this monument. Consequently, most of the works done so far are mainly limited to general information from past decades attesting its monastic function. Thus, there remain several controversies about the inception of the architectural layout of the so-called Dash Kasan which needs to be further explored. The most recent field studies headed by the author in the spring of 2020 had developed one major question to be answered regarding this site: Why the so-called Dash Kasan cannot be a Buddhist temple. This research rejects the function of this complex as a temple based on its architectural composition. While the results clearly suggest an outright contradiction to the traditional views of scholars as a Buddhist temple, it is possible to trace a similar construction scheme between this site and Chines style ceremonial halls in Central Asia. This paper is intended to review the monastic function of the so-called Dash Kasan, and to further stimulate others to explore this extraordinary site.

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