Sheikh Bahaei and Isfahan architecture

Whatever has been exhibited in Abbasi Mosque, Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque, Chahar Bagh School, Ali Qapu palace, the palace of Forty Columns and Isfahan’s Great Market with
Sunday, February 22, 2015
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Sheikh Bahaei and Isfahan architecture
Sheikh Bahaei and Isfahan architecture

 








 

Whatever has been exhibited in Abbasi Mosque, Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque, Chahar Bagh School, Ali Qapu palace, the palace of Forty Columns and Isfahan’s Great Market with innumerable hidden traces, were wisdom from the art quality and an art from the wisdom quality. Of course, the architectural art prior to Safavid period has exhibited a visualization of wisdom, intuition, mysticism and religious law, but what occurred in the Safavid era, due to multiplicity and variety, was matchless and integrated several works from types of mosque, school, palace, administration office, bathroom, market, road, square, bridge, coffeehouse, remedy house, which in coherence with each other accounted to a meaningful urban space. It's here that we say this design was completely engineered and at the same time was artistically and philosophically formed. As per my viewpoint as an abject, the wisdom and art in this period had total interaction and influenced each other and art in wisdom and wisdom in art was exploited and matured. On the same basis, we are witnessing several reformations in the wisdom and philosophy.
Anyway, it suffices that we opt to roam in the Shah Abbas Mosque or Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque, to figure out that these two are not only from each other’s traces, in terms of infrastructures of stone and tile, but also act as a text position and seems to be of language and books quality. We should note that a meaningless idealistic art is a paradox and if these two works and even the other accounted traces are idealistic arts, then they possess a meaning and are message conveyers and therefore for the designing and implementation of these works and their collection coherence in a macro plan city, wisdom, art and engineering, go in synchronize. The holiness and intrinsic art which is considered as an original art, is nothing more than an incarnation of the divine beauty in an imaginative mirror and then creation of an imagination purist and their expulsion on the foreign materials, in a manner that are exhibitors of beauty manifestations. Such an art is not possible without wisdom and such an art, sans wisdom is not exhibited in a combinational of space, color, stone and tile besides form and dimension.
A picture presented on the Isfahan city architecture reformation was for the sake to locate the traces of wisdom and philosophy in this reformation and notice that political, art and engineering combination cannot exploit such a design. Even, the historical circumstances exhibit the same. In general,`` the Safavid rulers attention towards the artists which was more than Sufism and religious scholars and utilizing the Shiite subjects in a splendid and clear style, denoted the development and significant changes which were occurring with their financial and spiritual supports.’’ On the same basis, the artistic sanest and theosophy had a very special status for Safavid rulers, especially Shah Abbas and Sheikh Bahaei, the learned inclination who was a lawyer, a mathematician as well as a designer and expert in geometry, and overall had been an incomparable personality. It suffices to know that according to the latest researches carried out via Dr. Mohammad Bagher Hojati about the Sheikh Bahaei works and presented it at the conference in Damascus and was published in the Journal of ``Islamic Culture‘’, Number 5, was announced as the collection of his works in 123 volumes, among which 20 volumes pertained to mathematics, geometry and astronomy. On the other hand, the influence of Sheikh Bahaeis’ sovereignty (father and son) as the Islamic capital’s sheikh was step by step allied with the Isfahan urban development reformations. The Isfahan urban Renaissance architecture prior to transfer of capital from Qazvin to Isfahan took place with the order of King Abbas I and Sheikh Bahaei father, the prime Islamic sheikh of the second Safavid capital i.e. Qazvin and Sheikh Bahaei son, the prime Islamic sheikh of the third Safavid capital which was Isfahan. Undoubtedly Sheikh Bahaei son was a consultant effectively in the know-how of urban designs in a manner that space and the city’s façade was the display of wisdom and intuition. Even, sometimes as the witnesses will be presented, he was engaged in the details of a few of the projects.
This urban plan which figured Isfahan’s Renaissance architecture was exploited based on a philosophy pertaining to the world materialism with understanding of faith. This philosophy is the manifestation of this attitude that a balance is formed between religion and the world and even spirituality and materiality and Sheikh Bahaei as a transcendental philosopher and theosophy sage and even as a prominent mathematician and designer, has played a fundamental role in this design.
Sheikh Bahaei as a transcendental philosopher and due to the theoretical mysticism, believes the theosophy of Ibn Arabi and at the same time was a prominent mathematicians and designers in his period and place and as well has been credited in the position of Islamic sheikh, therefore it is completely unacceptable that he hasn’t a main role in the Isfahan urban architecture reformations which demands both design and engineering besides art and aesthetics and addresses wisdom, knowledge and intuition.
Today, some are in lookout to locate Sheikh Bahaei’s name in the lower part of inscriptions and or the walls of mosques and schools in Isfahan and in their searches ending up in dismay, but they do not consider that Sheikh Bahaei was neither the masonry of these infrastructures nor a detailed and a direct engineer of these projects that have been executed, but via his works, the circumstances are obtained that provides the reason for his involvement in these projects which will be further discussed. Dr. Cyrus Shafaqi, the professor of all the geographical faculties of Isfahan University, solemnly explained the role of Sheikh Bahaei in the structure and development of the Safavid era as follows:
``The urban growth and reformation and continuous monitoring of King Abbas I resulted that the architects and urban developers executed his ideas. The increased appreciation and status of artists in different fields on one hand and embellishment and awareness of King Abbas I on the other hand led to the evolution of different schools in Isfahan and was popularized in the literature, architecture and city planning as Isfahan School or Safavid School. In the Isfahan architecture school all the factors viz. space, color, etc., all of them in association led to the formation of a very unique work that at present enforces a human to admire it. Among the scientists of that era that doubtlessly had a role in the development plan of Isfahan, an eminent sage, Sheikh Bahaei can be named who in his inherent genius shadow attained an outstanding status in the science in his age. He was eminently providing his opinions in philosophy and wisdom, medicine, mysticism, astronomy, poetry and literature and especially in engineering, architecture, mathematics and designing. ‘’
It should be noted that Sheikh Bahaei was guided by a professor in engineering and designing, and with the interpretation of late Zabihullah Safa he was a student of the greatest mathematicians and engineers of his time viz. Hatim engineer Mullah Mohammad Bagher Zain Al Abadin Yazdi. Mullah Mohammad Bagher succeeded to solve some of the algebraic equations which were not possible prior to him.
Roger Savery while carrying out an interesting comparison between development and Isfahan development know-how with cities of Paris and America’s Washington has stated that the role of Sheikh Bahaei in this plan was magnificent.
``In the course of history rarely the complete city is planned by an individual or a plan reformation is provided. In the contemporary period, during Napoleon III, the diversity of Paris with the efforts of Baron Haussmann doubled; Washington last will testament is another example of it that comes to mind, King Abbas I of Isfahan is a much older exemplary of it. If we look at it carefully, we will find that the Safavid architecture initiated during the reign of King Abbas. In the architecture itself a little novel element existed. The beginning of the King Abbas urban development in boldness was an imagination and amazing scale of planning that included the basis of a big capital with streets, palaces, forums, mosques and schools, markets, bathrooms, forts and orchards.’’
The king’s right hand who was effective in the exploitation of this ambitious plan was an outstanding personality viz. Sheikh Baha’uddin Mohammad Amili who was popular as Sheikh Bahaei, he was renowned as an eminent divine of the world, philosopher, commentator of the Quran, a leader, an astronomer, a teacher a poet and an engineer abstract of the Safavid society of the era of King Abbas the Great.’’
Similarly, in particular, Sheikh Bahaei should be named as one of the geniuses involved in the design of Isfahan’s Shah Mosque. Yes, even today the Sheikh Bahai clock existing in the western part of the mosque that via sunshine and shade, exhibits a spiritual noon during the year was named after him.
One of the issues that revealed the role of Sheikh Bahaei in the urban space planning due to beautification is the usage of Medians and organization in the new spaces of Isfahan city. `` Although Medians existed even in an era prior to the Safavid period, but only were used for the irrigation of farms and orchards. The expansion of city up to the margin of the Zayandeh River enforced the Medians inside the city and turned it into an important factor in urban spaces formation. The water of Zayandeh River that according to scroll attributed to Sheikh Bahaei was divided and directed via the Medians in the city and in some places were found emerging in the pools inside mosques, schools and inns, etc.’’
Nevertheless, the most important of all these besides being more expressive, alive and validated than what can be found in the historical and unhistorical books, is the compilation works of Sheikh Bahaei. One of these works that was not considered and absented in citation is the work named as ``Hatimi’s gift’’ which was written in the 1013 AH. This treatise has been written by Sheikh for Hatim Baig Ardoyadi who was the character and men of the King Abbas period and after nineteen years' ministry expired in 1019 AH in Orumiyeh.
He was a science scholar, loved art and sought movable and reasonable sciences and in this manner had initiated a frequentation friendship with Sheikh Bahaei. Sheikh Bahaei himself had written in the introduction of this book that Hatim Baig wanted to learn working with astrolabe and since a comprehensive and complete treatise was not present in this regard, I composed it for his sake. But the content of this book is very interesting. He has explained seventy different works that can be carried out with the help of an astrolabe.
He primarily explains this tool, its seven parts and its different types and accounts the three groups of its usability which includes astronomical, territorial and periodical and later enters into the discussion of each one of the applications viz. calculation of the logic time and the time of accomplishment of noon and evening prayers with using the index or astrolabe, calculating the width of river or distance remained till wall or castle of the city, without traversing it, attaining the height of a spire or mountain or castle wall, calculating the depth of well and or construction of dikes and know-how of how to circulate their waters, calculating geographical longitude and latitude of a city, and eventually calculating the distance between two cities.
It is interesting to know that Sheikh Bahaei in this book, has patented two inventions in his name: one is the new and novel method of calculating the height of the castle wall and the other a completely new methodology to recognize how to circulate the dikes water where sheikh himself has explicitly mentioned that none of the scholars and scientist of this technique, were aware of this methodology.
All these clearly demonstrate that Sheikh Bahaei was practically involved in the engineering issues of the city and the related calculations and his role is much more than what is being narrated in the histories. What is being covered in this book is not at all the kind of issues related to theoretical grounds and all of them are practical and applicatory cases that inform an individual who is inclined towards such issues and even towards new inventions and methods, it is assuredly an individual who is practically skilled in this work.
In any case ``The gift which was written by Sheikh Bahaei and after the authorship through the simplicity of expression and rigidity in the regularity of agenda in the context of astrolabe-logy as a book in the scientific fields of east of the Islam world proliferated and still its author – Rahmatullah Alay – had not left this terrestrial world where its copies were printed in Iran and Indian peninsula continent. After the failure of lithographic printing machines in the peninsula and Iran continent, the aforesaid treatise was independently and at times along with explanations and Birjandi margins, was repeatedly printed.’’
Based on what was put forward, Sheikh Bahaei as an Islamic scholar and a prominent mathematician and a skilled engineer, in the construction and urban development issues, was consulted and as it is gained from his works, he had some interventions in the related operational and calculation works.
But Sheikh Bahaei was a scholar, philosopher and mystic who had in-depth and vast views towards philosophical issues of Avicenna, wisdom catechism of Sheikh Ashraq, theoretical theosophical discussion of Ibn Arabi and the mental and spiritual effects of these three prominent Islamic personalities can be observed in the metaphysical-philosophical thinking of Sheikh Bahaei.
On the other hand, he was filled with artistic enthusiasm and had a major involvement in the art of poetry and story narration where his couplet-poems and quatrains like the story of mouse and cat, witnesses it and authenticates his original spirituality.
In the early discussions also we found that Sheikh Bahaei in some of the constructive operations and calculation had an inventing spirit. Besides, he had a severe attention towards the social and calumniator wisdom and has a high belief towards the scholars like Hafez and especially Molavi and all of us should know that in the social and calumniator wisdom; wisdom, mysticism and art have an inseparable bonding with each other.
The presence of all these aspects in Sheikh Bahaei has evolved a very interesting and effective character out of him and has caused him to look upon wisdom, engineering and designing as a beautification and symbolist art and simultaneously observe art as a wisdom and theosophical perspective.
What is important and worth researching and unfortunately from the blind points of history is considered the wisdom and art of Iran land during the Safavid period, is that such an outlook towards wisdom, art and engineering were not limited to Sheikh Bahaei and several other individuals also were involved in the engineering and designing of Isfahan urban development and definitely Sheikh Bahaei with the characteristics that he possessed was their consultant, they had such an outlook. Since what is assured and incontestable is that without such outlook, this architecture and designing Renaissance in the development of Isfahan city, with so many wisdoms-artistic aspects would have not emerged.

/J

 

 



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