Studying the Brickwork of Islamic Mosques as Architectural Decorations

Abstract

Bricks are local materials and efficient architecture in Iran. Bricks are used in buildings and for decoration. Brickwork is one of the ways of decoration in architecture which is done with simple and sharp tools. Brickwork of Iranian architecture was used in the Achaemenian period and it flourished and its decorative applications reached its peak in the Islamic period, especially in mosques of the Seljuk period. The mosque has been raised in the early days of Islam as a center of idea exchanges and a place of reflection, so that the prevailing architecture came into existence, based on the ideas and social views in the Islamic world. At the beginning, the exterior architecture looked very simple and its exterior was not very distinct from other architectures. But with the passage of time and the arrival of mosques in Iran, Iranian architectures’ ideas were inspired by the Islamic world and the mosque had a great impact on the sub-structure, and a diverse array of elements were added to it and adapted with Iranian and Islamic philosophy, which identifying these elements are among factors discussed and analyzed in these structures. This kind of decoration, continued until the beginning of the second Pahlavi period and then with the mainstream use of cement, iron, aluminium and new materials, the use of bricks was reduced and the art of brickwork declined. Studying the different species of brickwork and its relationship with its decorative features and applications, can be effective in its rehabilitation and re-prosperity.