Stucco Ornaments and Inscriptions of the Great Mosque of Ardestan as One of the Masterpieces of the Great Seljuk Period

Abstract

The mosques are considered to be the most important religious building type in Islamic architecture. The mosques had rich stucco ornaments during the Great Seljuk period. From the Great Seljuk period, known as the golden age of Iranian Islamic art, remains masterpieces in the art of stucco decoration more than any other art kind. In this article, the architecture of the great mosque of Ardestan, which is considered as one of the masterpieces of the Great Seljuk Period, and also its stucco ornaments and inscriptions are discussed. According to the results, the stucco decorations in these mosques include inscriptions, vegetal and geometric decorations made using embossing, engraving, and stamping techniques. The stucco ornaments of this mosque are similar to the ornaments of periods before and after the Great Seljuk era. Although it was claimed in many previous studies that the building had a single porch during the Great Seljuk period and was transformed into four porches in the following periods, considering the information obtained from the inscription in the interior of the mosque, was determined that this mosque was built in the form of four porches during the Great Seljuk period.