Abstract

The present study aimed to define the art of Khānqāh from the seventh century to the present time and describe the special art of Khānqāh architecture which has been influenced by pure mystical and Sufi thoughts. The data were collected from Khānqāh monuments (Sufi Gathering Places) and tombs, historical Khānqāh Mustahsanats (Practices in Khānqāh), and classification of their symbolism from the viewpoint of religious traditionalism. Through historical examination and categorization of the observed symbolic elements as well as considering the religious ‘traditionalism’ as a criterion, a certain type of Khānqāh architecture was found in all reported buildings, which has not been previously explored. In fact, direct effects of theoretical foundations and virtues of mysticism and Sufism are evident in this especial architecture. By distinguishing this style in Islamic architecture, its influence on other Islamic structures like school and mosque can be shown too. All in all, based on the field data collected in this study, most reflections of the symbolic elements in Khānqāh architecture are related to colors, symbolic use of numbers, and mystical thoughts which are fully evident in the texture and structure of the Khānqāhs. In addition, historical evolution of Sufism history has played an influential role in frequency of use and determination of the types of these symbolic applications

Keywords

• Khānqāh
• Religious Traditionalism
• Khānqāh Mustahsanāts (Virtuous Practices in Khānqāh)
• the Sacred Art