While walking in this corridor of one of the ancient mosques in Shiraz, you feel as if you are going to touch the history. Almost all mosques in Iran have such beautiful and unique tiling, and this is the real Iranian tradition. By the way, if you find such tiles in any other part of the world, you can be confident that Iranian masters made it.
Persian architecture is famous for its unique decorative tiles called kashi-kari. This art was developed in ancient Persia and was part of the architectural tradition of Iran for centuries. It was the art of light and geometry, which was part of the life of the people of that time and reflected their spiritual world. Shiraz is the city of poets and gardens, and its ancient mosques are examples of this unique architecture.
It is necessary to say a few words about the big misunderstanding about Iranians being Arabs. Of course, they are not. The Arab invasion of Persia occurred many years ago, and although the architecture of ancient Persia was part of the history of Iran, it was not Arab. The same is the language; people say that Iranians speak Arabic, which is not true. The language of Iran is Persian or Farsi.
When I was framing this picture, I felt that something was missing. The picture needed people, and not just any people, but those who would look at it with the same curiosity and questions as I was feeling at that moment so i ask my friend.
I asked myself, who were those people who first saw these tiles, and what were they thinking when they made such a composition? What emotions did they experience, and what thoughts came to their minds, knowing that their creation would live and inspire other generations for centuries?
I made two versions of this photo: color and black and white.
Which one do you like more? Does the color version evoke more emotions and memories, or do you feel that black and white better convey the atmosphere of this place? I would be glad if you could share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
Love u all ❤️
Morteza Yousefi
