On
Monday
December
11, the
First
day of
Isfahan
School
Architecture
and Town
Planning
Congress
opened
with the
performance
of
Islamic
Republic
of
Iran's
anthem
and the
recitation
of some
verses
from the
holy
Qur'an.
The
session
kicked
off in
the
presence
of
masters,
thinkers,
researchers,
students
and a
large
crowd of
enthusiasts
at
Isfahan
University
of Arts.
At first
Dr.
Farhang
Mozafar
the
director
of
Isfahan
University
of Arts
greeted
the
prominent
figures
of
Iranian
culture
and
civilization
and
regarded
holding
of the
architecture
and town
planning
Congress
as a
landmark
for the
articulation
of
Isfahan
school
point of
view.
Next,
Eng.
Seyyed
Muhammad
Beheshti
presented
a
scientific
report
provided
by the
director
of
architecture
department
of the
Academy
of Arts,
Dr.
Baqer
Ayatollahzadeh
Shirazi,
"During
eight
Congresses
we
received
56
articles
and 8
abstracts
and
among
them we
selected
41
articles
to be
introduced
at the
Congress
and
later
will be
printed.
Finally
34
articles
were
accepted
to be
presented
at the
session,
on the
other
hand we
received
8 other
articles
from
foreign
scholars,
three of
them
attend
the
congress
and will
present
their
own
articles,"
he said.
Beheshti
added:
"This
historically
significant
era
contains
various
aspects.
Isfahan
does not
just
belong
to
Isfahani
people;
Isfahan
is the
epitome
of
Iranian
ability
to
create
civilization
and
culture.
Such a
heritage
does not
even
belong
to the
people
of the
recent
centuries,
but also
belongs
to the
future
generations.
For the
first
time we
encounter
a
conference
which
considers
all arts
from
different
angles.
The
other
notable
fact is
that our
new
generation
and
young
art
experts
have
submitted
numerous
articles
for the
congress."
"More
than 50
books
are
being
printed
on the
occasion
of the
conference.
Among
these 50
volumes,
more
than 12
of them
are on
the
history
of
architecture
and town
planning.
These
books
include
three
volumes
on
Isfahan
Jame'a
mosque,
Julfa
churches,
the
collection
of
Harward
articles,
a
treatise
by Ms.
Ahari,
the
paintings
of
Na'een's
Vareh
palace
and
…,"
he
stated.
Following
the
session,
Eng.
Seyyed
Muhammad
Hashemi
presented
his
article
titled,
"Mosque
as the
Locale
for the
Ascension
of
Faithful
People."
He said:
"Mosque
is a
place
for
daily
prayer.
Daily
prayer
is
consisted
of an
appearance
and an
inner
part
which
includes
the
pilgrimage
to Mecca
(Hajj).
Of
course
for the
Shiites,
daily
prayer
has an
appearance
with
some
customs
which
are
defined
by
Shari'at
and has
an inner
aspect
which
comprises
the
spiritual
character
of daily
prayer.
Obviously
in their
history,
Shiites
attempted
to build
the
mosques
in an
appropriate
manner
in
proportion
with
both
adherence
to the
external
aspect
of daily
prayer
and the
inner
aspect
of that.
In
Safavid
era when
Shiites
abandoned
the
dissimulation,
they
finally
found an
opportunity
to build
the
mosques
completely
with
adherence
to the
inner
aspect
of daily
prayer."
The next
lecturer,
Dr.
Seyyed
Mohsen
Habibi
introduced
an
article
entitled,
"Isfahan
School
Town
Planning,
a
Passage
from the
Land of
Imagination
to the
Land of
Reason."
He
remarked:
"Each
city is
the
symbol
of the
civilization
of its
times
and such
a
civilization
will not
be
established
until
the
ideas
and
thinking
of
current
and
previous
generations
get
together
and
contribute
to
establish
the
civilization.
The
Safavid
era is a
conscious
and
masterful
combination
of
almost
10
centuries
of
Islamic
thinking
and
vision
in Iran,
even if
we don't
take the
pre-Islam
era into
consideration,
we can
develop
such a
conscious
and
reasonable
combination
to the
other
social-cultural
grounds
including
architecture
and town
planning.
Therefore
we will
be able
to
introduce
a new
and
inventive
definition
of town
planning,
architecture
and town
designing.
Such a
school
will be
imbued
with
principles,
criteria
with an
articulate
and a
specific
language
which
not only
embraces
Safavid
era but
dominates
on
Afsharieh,
Zandieh
and
Qajar
eras."
At that
moment,
Dr.
Hassan
Bolkhari
gave a
lecture
based on
his
article
titled,
"The
Philosophy
of
Architecture;
Recreation
of the
Universe
Based on
the Holy
Geometry."
He
remarked:
"In
the mind
and
thinking
of
Eastern
people
art and
architecture
from one
hand and
the
ideas of
ancient
human
being
from the
other
hand are
the
epitomes
of human
perception
of the
universe
particularly
architecture
which is
embodied
in the
construction
of the
holy
place.
The
intention
behind
the
construction
of this
holy
place is
to set
it as a
shelter
for
reaching
to peace
and
tranquility
of soul
as well
as the
reunification
of human
detached
soul
with its
origin
has been
based on
a number
of
ideological
and
cosmologic
beliefs."
Dr.
Ahari
presented
her
article,
"Deep
Constructions
of Town
Planning
Based on
the
Urban
Development
of
Isfahan
School."
In a
part of
her
article
she
writes:
"Safavid
era was
the age
of
social 
welfare,
economic
security
and the
development
of urban
life.
Consequently
the town
planning
was
proceeded
with an
unprecedented
expansion.
New
urban
developments
which
were
particularly
initiated
from the
times of
Shah
Tahmasb
in
Qazvin,
and the
Safavid
courthouse
found
new and
unprecedented
aspects.
Through
a
linguistic
approach
one can
show
that the
presence
of
paradigms
or
unitary
deep
structures
at the
backdrop
of the
language
of
Isfahan
town
planning
is the
raison
d’être
of the
unity of
expression
and the
harmonic
speech
of such
a town
planning."
Following
the
session,
Muhammad-Reza
Okhovati
made a
speech
on
"The
Hierarchy
in
Isfahan
School"
and
stated:
"Hierarchy
is one
of the
most
tangible
principles
which
everybody
can
percept
it
through
looking
to
his/her
surrounding
phenomena.
The
entire
life of
human
being is
submitted
to a
specific
hierarchy.
His/her
birth is
the
consequence
of
several
phenomena
and it
won't
happen
until
the
phenomena
submit
to 
a
definite
hierarchical
order,
otherwise
the
final
result
which is
the
birth of
a living
creature
won't
occur.
The life
circle
won't be
completed
until
the
consecutive
stages
of life,
including
childhood
are
passing.
The same
is true
for the
spiritual
evolution.
Consequently
whatever
happens
around
us is
subject
to the
hierarchical
order,
from
dawn and
birth to
sunset
and
death in
life
circle."
"Takht-e
Foulad
the
Historical
Memento
of
Isfahan"
was the
title of
the next
article
introduced
by Eng.
Faqihzadeh.
"The
textures
and
historical
sites of
the
cities
embrace
the
precious
treasures
of the
history
and
culture
of a
country.
Undoubtedly
Isfahan
as a
historical
city has
a
privileged
status
due to
its
embodiments
of
Iranian
art,
architecture,
science,
literature
and
mysticism.
The
historic
cemetery,
Takht-e
Foulad
is a
part of
such an
invaluable
treasure
which
has
contained
a
collection
of our
material
heritage,
including
environments,
buildings
and
priceless
works
like
slates,
inscriptions
on the
ground,
and some
other
precious
treasures
as
spiritual
heritage
which
have
been
concealed
at the
heart of
the
soil,
under
the
ground,"
he said.
"Takht-e
Foulad
cemetery
is
considerable
from two
aspects,
one is
the
multiplicity
of
historic
buildings
and
priceless
epitaphs
which
open
many
windows
to
historical
aspects
and
facts.
Second
is the
presence
of
hundreds
of
Iranian
scientists,
philosophers,
artists,
politicians
and
national
heroes
in the
cemetery
which
put it
among
the holy
and
blessed
cemeteries,
a
circumambulation
place
for
passionate
and wise
people,
and a
meeting
point
for the
lovers
of
science
and
art,"
he
added.
Then,
Dr. Iraj
E'etesam
presented
his
article,
"Architecture
on the
Ground
of City
and
Nature
of
Isfahan."
He
remarked:
"
In
various
forms of
symbiosis,
nature
and
architecture
physically
will
affect
each
other in
the
process
of
formation;
simultaneously
they
experience
the
dynamic
and
entangled
structures
with
their
general
manners
and
features.
As a
result,
the
framework
of
building
is
constituted
not in
contrast
with
nature
or
complete
submission
to it,
but
through
a
conscious
symbiosis."
After
that,
Dr. Vida
Norouz
Borazjani
gave a
lecture
entitled,
"The
Concealed
Linkages
in
Naqsh-e
Jahan
Square."
The last
article
of the
session
was
presented
by Dr.
Mansour
Falamaki
which
focused
on the
formation
of
architecture-town
planning
products
of
Isfahan
in
Safavid
era.
"It
is
appropriate
to
evaluate
the ups
and
downs of
artistic
creation
in
Safavid
era,
particularly
in
regard
to the
everlasting
capital
of the
state.
There
are
instances
of
adaptations
from
twin
disciplines
of
architecture
which
take the
city as
of the 
best
surrounding
place
for
constructing
factors,
changing
elements
and
phenomenon
which
constitute
a moving
and
dynamic
locale.
We
should
bear in
mind
that the
realization
of the
past
achievements,
as well
as the
capabilities
at the
times of
Safavid
kings
were
frequently
to
persist
their
worldly
life and
for
them,
this was
the main
objective.
The most
powerful
Safavid
kings
were to
expand
and
intensify
the
foundation
of a
state.
Meanwhile
Iranians
generally
have
acknowledged
such an
effort.
From the
other
hand
they
were
uniquely
endeavored
to
assure
the
totality
of the
country,"
he
stated.
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