An Analysis of the Stones of the Islamic Era of Onar Meshkinshahr Cemetery (Northwest Iran)

An Analysis of the Stones of the Islamic Era of Onar Meshkinshahr Cemetery (Northwest Iran)
Introduction: The architectural structure of tombs and its related elements is a reflection of the ritual-worship beliefs of human societies.Attention to these cultural evidences can be in better understanding the religious-religious, social, ethnic situation of the designers of these works.The northwestern region of Iran has historically had a variety of tombs and tombstones due to the existence of different cultures and ethnicities. During the Islamic era, especially after the Islamic Middle Ages, tombstones in various shapes were created in this region, one of the most important of which is the raised stone.To date, researchers have not conducted comprehensive studies on these cultural artifacts and have proposed various hypotheses about the reason for the formation of this type of tombstone. Accordingly, in the present study, the authors try to answer the following questions logically in a descriptive-comparative and analytical manner based on field and library studies.1- The etymological roots of the tombstones of the Islamic era cemetery in Onar village go back to which areas? 2- What are the meanings of the appearance and decorative elements of the pomegranate stones? The results show that the rocks of the Islamic period in the village of Onar were influenced by human-shaped stone figures of Central Asia that entered the culture of northwestern Iran in the Middle Ages. Other research results indicate that; These works have undergone significant changes under the influence of the teachings of Islam on the denial of formality, and at the same time show evidence of the Shiite religion. These figures show an example of the fusion of the three cultures of Central Asia (Turkic-speaking peoples), Islam and Iran in the form of a ritual-religious work.
Materials and Methods:
This research was conducted by descriptive-analytical method and the information was gathered by library and field studies. In this research, at first the essential sources for the research were collected. Then based on the obtained information, the classification, typology and analysis of the arrays used on the tombstones from the Islamic period was conducted.
Results:
Due to their special connection with man, tombstones have been a valuable platform for Imaging his thoughts. Cast stones or human figures are rooted in man's thinking about the Hereafter. The tradition of placing raised stones on graves was also influenced by Islamic beliefs, which changed the image and sculpting of human limbs in these figures completely, leaving only the general human form. Careful attention to the decorative elements and carvings of the tombstones of Onar Cemetery shows that these statues represent exactly a human being wearing a hat of twelve Turks, which is a symbol of the 12 Imams (Shiite religion).
Conclusion: Given the importance of the issue of Resurrection in the Islamic worldview, the issue of Burial in this religion has a special place. This has led to the remains of tombstones with various signs and maps in a wide area of ​​Iran.
The motifs were not merely decorative and had special meanings, and in some cases the motifs contained deep and Mysticism meanings that Raised from deep human beliefs. What was discussed in the text of the article; stones are closely related to the life and death of a deceased person, according to some Central Asian human societies.
These stones are used in parts of Central Asia to kill people buried by a person buried in his grave during his lifetime; As mentioned in Ibn Fazlan's travelogue, this ancient tradition of the Caspian Turks. With the arrival of some Turks in the northwestern region of Iran, some burial traditions of these tribes have also penetrated into this region; However, these traditions were influenced by the beliefs and traditions of Islam.
Based on this research, it is clear that the background of the word Khalifa al-Khalfa belongs to the Ilkhanid period, which is exactly in line with the teachings of Sheikh Safi regarding Shiism. Also, Meshkinshahr and especially the village of Onar is one of the important centers of Sheikh Safi's followers in the spread of Shiism in the region of Azerbaijan.The study and analysis of decorative elements such as plant paintings, Altar, Quranic verses shows that these designers and users of these works, while adhering to the traditions of their past (Central Asian traditions / shamanic beliefs), have also accepted the teachings of Islam, especially Shiism. The world of the Hereafter and Paradise, where the altar of the gate and the eight flowers are full of symbols of the eight chapters of Paradise, are firmly believed.
Funding: There is no funding support.
Authors' Contribution: The authors confirm contribution to the paper as follows: Study conception and analysis and interpretation of results: Saeid Sattarnezhad. Data collection and analysis: Tayybeh Hosseinpour Derakhshesh. All authors reviewed the results and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict of Interest: Authors declared no conflict of interest.
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