Analyzing Shia thought in Christian religious monuments in Isfahan (Case Study: Mary Church)

Religious course gas received great attention as one of the most important factors in the creation of architectural spaces. Orthodox churches in Christianity, like other religions, are significant places providing a spiritual space for people. Armenians of Armenia who had a long background in the construction of some churches with orthodox thought immigrated to Isfahan during Abbas I the Great (۹۹۶-۱۰۳۸AH) and interacted with Shia Safavid thought and constructed some churches in the Jolfa district of Isfahan. This study aims to examine the influence of the religious discourse of these two tribes on the structure of Saint Mary Church. To do this, a comparative approach with the descriptive-analytical method and logical reasoning was used based on the library studies and field observations. Physical-spatial features of the building have been analyzed to examine the case study. The results indicate that Shia discourse is used in the ornaments and structure of Saint Mary Church and orthodox discourse is manifested in the spatial arrangement of this building.

Keywords:

Thought , Shia , Saint Mary Church , Isfahan