September 2016 | BIPS Travel Grant

This ongoing PhD research, explores Orsi windows and coloured glass panels as architectural and climatic elements of traditional Iranian design. The main objective is to investigate Orsi integrated dwellings and to recognize whether or not drivers, such as environmental changes, advancements in building technology, availability of construction material, cultural influences and artistic aspirations, brought about the transformation of traditional and uniform Persian windows into elaborate Orsis, from the Safavid era forward. This investigation was made possible through detailed exploration of historical events that took place before, during and after the reign of the Safavid dynasty; architectural and visual evidence, where available, were also taken into consideration.

My most recent field trip to Iran was made possible through the generosity of the British Institute of Iranian Studies, BIPS and the Iran Society of London. The trip took place on October 20th, when I travelled to the city of Isfahan in order to conduct a number of site specific surveys. The purpose of these surveys was to identify traditional and local building material, construction technologies and local structural requirements of building sites in order to create an analytical narrative with regards to the evolution of Iranian windows into Orsis and coloured glass panels.

Upon obtaining a visitor’s permit from the Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization in the city of Isfahan, and a second permit from the Isfahan University of Art, Persian for the fourteen days of my stay I visited more than sixteen Safavid residential dwellings and ten Safavid public places including mosques and palaces. A large number of photographs were collected as a result of this visit. In addition to the photographic evidence, I had the opportunity to speak to a number of experts in the field of Safavid architecture, including the previous head of the Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization in the city of Isfahan, the university lecturer and the practicing conservator and architect, Mr. Ahmad Montazer, who kindly shared his knowledge of Safavid architecture by accompanying me to five of the remaining Safavid dwellings and providing me with a detailed description of the changes and renovations that each building has endured in recent years. Brief conversations with individual owners of several private Safavid houses took place using a reference provided by the Iran Society of London, which played a crucial role in forming a better understanding of the ownership of historic sites and the individual effort required to protect and promote houses as part of the national heritage.

Travelling to Isfahan as an unfamiliar but not unknown destination had its own challenges, some of which were greatly eased through the kindness of researchers and scholars who introduced me to the right people. The trip to Isfahan would not have been possible without the generous contribution of BIPS and the Iran Society, for which I am eternally thankful. My research would have been incomplete without visiting Isfahan, the third and most developed capital city of the Safavid dynasty and its many architectural treasures. I am looking forward to publishing and sharing my findings with scholars and all those interested in Iranian arts and crafts, in the near future.