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Evolution of Sacred Landscapes: Case Study of Chahartaq Monuments in Ancient Persia

PARSA, Sarvenaz

Historical landscapes and the interaction between natural-cultural environment and architecture is the focus of this paper. I use an extension of Lefebvre’s theory of space to create a theoretical framework to approach the historical landscapes, and their evolution. I discuss that different natural and human-made landscape features influence the monuments and their locations in the first place, but also get changed or influenced through these constructions and get a new character, a new meaning, and identity. As a case study for this theoretical discussion, in this paper, I will look at the landscapes around a few Chahartaq monuments in Iran, will discuss the landscape features that attracted them to that location in the first place, and then will ask how the built architecture influenced the existing landscape. In the end, I suggest that the evolution of some of these sacred landscapes although mainly developed during the Sasanian period with new constructions, also continued during the Islamic era, and some of these location continued to maintain their identity and evolved further by attracting new types of Chahartaq monuments. Using this holistic approach one can also follow the evolution of other sites or sacred landscapes through history and time.

Session 3. Urban and Landscape Studies: Finding Interpretative Approaches [info]