About this Event
SFU Harbour Centre at on Tuesday, 6 October 6:30 PM.
Room 7000.
A careful study of Mughal architectural style in the Indian subcontinent and its similarities with Safavid architecture in Iran reveals the significant influence of Iranian culture and architecture on the development of a new style of Indian architecture.
The Mughal Empire of India, also known as the Timurid or Gurkani Empire, was a vast empire ruled by the descendants of Timur. At its height, it encompassed large parts of the Indian subcontinent, including present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghanistan. The Mughal period largely coincided with the Safavid dynasty in Iran. Persian was the official language of the Mughal court and played an important role in the transmission of Iranian culture, art, and architectural traditions to the Indian subcontinent.
The Mughal Empire maintained strong cultural and political connections with Iran. These connections contributed significantly to the development of Mughal art and architecture. Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, had spent several years in Iran and maintained close connections with the Timurid and Persian cultural world. Humayun also spent years in exile in Iran, where he was influenced by the artistic and architectural traditions of the Safavid court. Later, the influence of Iranian culture continued during the reigns of Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan. Arjumand Banu Begum (Mumtaz Mahal), the wife of Shah Jahan, also had Persian ancestry, reflecting the close cultural connections between the Mughal court and Iran.
Iranian culture and architectural traditions contributed to the development of Mughal architecture, particularly in northern India. This influence can be observed in important architectural complexes in Agra, Delhi, and Fatehpur Sikri, where Persian and Central Asian traditions were combined with established Indian architectural practices to create a distinctive Mughal style.
The influence of Iranian architecture can be seen in the design of domes, columns, courtyards, public spaces, gardens, and interior and exterior decoration. During the reign of Shah Jahan, the development of Shahjahanabad, the new imperial capital of the Mughal Empire, further demonstrated the importance of Persian architectural ideas. Iranian and Central Asian architectural traditions, including those associated with the Safavid capital of Isfahan during the reign of Shah Abbas, provided important references for the planning and development of the new capital in Delhi.
Iranian artists, architects, and craftsmen adapted Persian architectural traditions to the climate, materials, technologies, and established architectural practices of the Indian subcontinent. This process resulted in a distinctive synthesis of Iranian, Central Asian, and
Indian traditions, visible in Mughal palaces, mosques, gardens, tombs, and other monumental structures.
The Taj Mahal in Agra represents one of the most celebrated examples of this cultural and architectural synthesis. Its spatial organization, gardens, monumental dome, decorative elements, and overall aesthetic demonstrate the complex interaction between Persian, Central Asian, and Indian traditions. Rather than representing a simple transfer of Iranian architecture to India, Mughal architecture reflects a process of cultural exchange, adaptation, and transformation.
This study argues that Persian cultural and architectural influence was an important component in the formation and development of Mughal architecture. At the same time, this influence was neither uniform nor constant; it evolved over time through political, cultural, artistic, and personal connections between the Mughal Empire in India and Safavid Iran.
Speaker:
Dr. Razieh Rahimi is an architect, educator, and researcher with more than 18 years of professional experience in architecture and several years of university-level teaching experience. She holds a Ph.D. in Architecture from Pune University, India, where her doctoral research focused on the comparative influence of Persian culture on Mughal and Safavid architecture. She also holds a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Urban Studies from Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran.
Throughout her professional career in Iran and India, Dr. Rahimi has worked on a wide range of residential, commercial, institutional, industrial, cultural, and interior design projects. Her professional experience includes architectural design, project coordination, renovation, planning, working drawings, project supervision, and collaboration with engineers and consultants.
Dr. Rahimi has also taught architecture and interior design at several educational institutions in Tehran, teaching subjects including architectural design, professional practice, technical design, experimental architecture, and interior design. She has contributed to curriculum development, academic advising, evaluation of academic work, and coordination of architecture programs. She has also served as an external Ph.D. thesis evaluator and as a jury member for an international student design competition.
Her academic research has resulted in presentations and publications at international conferences in architecture, Islamic art and architecture, urban design, and human habitat. Her research interests include Persian architectural culture, Mughal and Safavid architecture, comparative architectural history, and the relationship between culture and architectural design.
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SFU Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, Canada
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