University of Tehran, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies Iranian Journal for the History of Islamic Civilization 2228-7906 58 1 2025 11 16 Comparative Study of the Texts on the Mihrabs of Iranian Grand Mosques (From the Abbasid to the End of the Qajar Period) Comparative Study of the Texts on the Mihrabs of Iranian Grand Mosques (From the Abbasid to the End of the Qajar Period) 218 246 104750 10.22059/jhic.2025.390936.654560 FA Fateme Soleymani M.A. Department of in Handicrafts, Farabi International Campus, Art University, Tehran, Iran 0009-0004-0449-7437 Samad Samanian Professor, Department of Faculty of Applied Arts, Art University, Tehran, Iran 0009-0004-0449-7437 Journal Article 2025 02 23 Inscriptions remaining from the beginning of the Islamic era across Iran hold high esteem, preserving the beliefs and thoughts of the people. Inscriptions placed on the mihrabs (prayer niches) of mosques are among the most important elements of these structures, and studying their content reveals some of these beliefs. This research was conducted with the aim of examining the mihrab texts from the Abbasid period to the end of the Qajar era. The question raised is: "What texts and themes do the inscriptions contain, and what changes did they undergo during the period under study?" To identify the mihrab inscriptions, after identifying the country's Grand Mosques, 21 mihrabs were selected as the basis for analysis and comparison. The research method is descriptive-comparative, and data collection was carried out through library studies and field visits. The results indicate that the content of the mihrabs is a blend of Qur'anic verses, hadiths, dhikr (remembrance of God), supplications, creedal phrases, and poetry. Despite the long time span between the creation of the works, the change in ruling dynasties, and based on the samples of verses and narrations, the frequency of use of Suras ĀliʿImrān, al-Isrā', Āyat al-Kursī, al-Jumuʻah, and al-Muʼminūn was observed to be relatively similar, suggesting the importance of their themes among Muslims. After the Saffarid period, hadiths related to the importance of prayer and the mosque, the hadith of the Ten Promised Paradise, and the hadith of Jābir appeared on the surfaces of the mihrabs. Mention of God's names and phrases exalting the Prophet and the Imams had the largest share in the mihrab writings. For the first time in the Safavid and Qajar periods, the inclusion of couplets and poems with themes mentioning the Imams and describing the mosque was observed. Inscriptions remaining from the beginning of the Islamic era across Iran hold high esteem, preserving the beliefs and thoughts of the people. Inscriptions placed on the mihrabs (prayer niches) of mosques are among the most important elements of these structures, and studying their content reveals some of these beliefs. This research was conducted with the aim of examining the mihrab texts from the Abbasid period to the end of the Qajar era. The question raised is: "What texts and themes do the inscriptions contain, and what changes did they undergo during the period under study?" To identify the mihrab inscriptions, after identifying the country's Grand Mosques, 21 mihrabs were selected as the basis for analysis and comparison. The research method is descriptive-comparative, and data collection was carried out through library studies and field visits. The results indicate that the content of the mihrabs is a blend of Qur'anic verses, hadiths, dhikr (remembrance of God), supplications, creedal phrases, and poetry. Despite the long time span between the creation of the works, the change in ruling dynasties, and based on the samples of verses and narrations, the frequency of use of Suras ĀliʿImrān, al-Isrā', Āyat al-Kursī, al-Jumuʻah, and al-Muʼminūn was observed to be relatively similar, suggesting the importance of their themes among Muslims. After the Saffarid period, hadiths related to the importance of prayer and the mosque, the hadith of the Ten Promised Paradise, and the hadith of Jābir appeared on the surfaces of the mihrabs. Mention of God's names and phrases exalting the Prophet and the Imams had the largest share in the mihrab writings. For the first time in the Safavid and Qajar periods, the inclusion of couplets and poems with themes mentioning the Imams and describing the mosque was observed.

https://jhic.ut.ac.ir/article_104750_ed9d9d96159a82832b076c9155546f09.pdf