Visual analysis of the Kufic script and decorations of the Mehrabi-shaped Askar Mukram khozestanr inscription

Mihrab inscriptions are one of the main elements of Islamic religious sites, including places of worship and pilgrimage. In addition to hundreds of these inscriptions from various Islamic centuries still existing in different parts of Iran, decorations combined with calligraphy, patterns, and other embellishments have been displayed based on these works, depending on the conditions of the building or the inscription itself. One of these newly discovered mihrab inscriptions that has not been studied so far is the mihrab-shaped inscription of "Askar Mukram" in Khuzestan. This city, which still has remnants along the road between Ahvaz and Shushtar, is one of the historical areas of the Khuzestan plain and part of the Miyan Ab region of Shushtar, where the Islamic army was stationed from the third century (AH). Recently, a mihrab-shaped inscription decorated with Kufic calligraphy and ornamental patterns has been found in this city, with some broken and incomplete parts. The mentioned inscription is another golden leaf of Iran's visual heritage from the post-Islamic period, probably from the third to sixth centuries (AH). The difference between this inscription and other mihrab inscriptions in Iran is that it was not attached to an architectural structure at the time of its discovery. The discovery of such artifacts in the Khuzestan region, both from the Islamic period and before Islam, has a long history. Pre-Islamic examples include the Elamite artifacts of "Arjan" and "Joubaji" in Ramhormoz. Although the mihrab shape of this inscription initially suggests its use in a mosque, shrine, or similar structure, the possibility of using this inscription for other purposes, such as tomb entrances, cannot be ruled out. Considering the above, the main issue of this research is the nature of the calligraphic structure, decorations, and semiotic elements governing this newly discovered inscription, as well as searching for evidence of its approximate construction period based on other mihrab inscriptions in Iran.
There are a few studies on Askar Mukram, some of which are briefly discussed below. In the study conducted by "Ataei, Mousavi Kohpar, and Mousavi Haji” (2014) entitled "Identification of the Historical City of Askar Mukram Based on Historical and Geographical Texts", the authors discussed the identification of this city and also described some of the coins which were minted in this city and its economic and commercial importance. Further, in an article titled "Resolving the Ambiguity Surrounding the Location of the Historical City of Askar Mukram," "Morteza Ataei and Raheleh Koulabaavi" (2019) also questioned the present location of the city of Askar Mukram. Other studies conducted on Askar Mukram have been centered on the philosophical and literary trends of this city when it was at its prime, which does not relate to the subject matter of this research. Many papers have been published on the inscriptions in mosques and pilgrimage places in Iran. These inscriptions, which are carved into the architectural structures, have been done in Kufic, Thuluth, Naskh, and sometimes Nastaliq scripts. Some of these studies are discussed here. In the study by Hatami, Khazaei, and Mohammadzadeh (2023), entitled "Investigating the Calligraphic Style and Visual Arrangements of the Griouar Inscription at the Shrine of the Twelve Imams in Yazd", the authors noted that the design criteria for this inscription included avoiding word legibility, and the overemphasis on letter forms and initial dimensions. "Khazaei-Musk, Kazempour, and Sahragard" (2022) in an article titled "Letter Forms in the Stone Inscriptions of Bani Hasanwiya (330-405 AH)" stated that the script used in the studied inscriptions is decorative Kufic (muragga'), and the two-petal and three-petal patterns are the most important decorative elements combined with letter forms in these inscriptions. The last relevant works are two books by "Amir Farid" named "The Coexistence of Image and Script in Iranian Art", published in 2021, and "The Position of Inscriptions in the First Mihrabs of Iran", published in 2022. In these books, Farid has provided a detailed analysis of Iranian calligraphy, decorations, and embellishments with special reference to mihrabs, the type of scripts used, the materials used in constructing the mihrabs, and the content of the verses inscribed in forty early Islamic mihrabs. In the book titled "The Position of Inscriptions in the First Mihrabs of Iran," he categorizes the early Islamic mihrabs into five types based on the integration of calligraphy and ornaments and says that the golden age of Islamic culture and art has a sense of integration. It is also noteworthy that Farid does not include the mihrab inscription of Askar Mukram in his book.
In conclusion, the purpose of this study is to investigate the visual characteristics of the Kufic script and the ornaments of the newly identified mihrab-shaped inscription from Askar Mukram, Shushtar, and to look for clues regarding the approximate construction period of the mihrab by comparing it with other mihrab inscriptions in Iran.
Research Methodology
The present research adopts a qualitative approach. In this process, the formal structure, calligraphy, and decorations of the Kufic inscription of Askar Mukram, Khuzestan, are redesigned based on the available images of the inscription using open-source graphic software, and its elements are visually analyzed. The sources for this research are library-based and field-based. In the field method, images of the inscription were taken, and discussions were held with relevant experts. Additionally, library resources were utilized to investigate the background and similar examples.
Results
The mihrab-shaped inscription of Askar Mukram, in its current condition, is limited to three parts: the frame, the spandrel, and the arched top, unlike other mihrab inscriptions in Iran that are attached to architectural structures. The calligraphy and patterns of this inscription are written in the frame and spandrel sections, and the arched top of this inscription has a pointed curve.
Considering the multiple classifications of Kufic scripts, based on the binary division of legible and illegible inscriptions, the Askar Mukram inscription belongs to the decorative Kufic script with ornamental extensions of patterns, sometimes within letters and the background of the work. The alphabet of this work is dependent little on the surrounding decorative patterns. In different parts of this inscription, patterns are drawn in available and possible spaces in visual connection with the calligraphy. Regarding the classifications of inscription types based on the coexistence of patterns and calligraphy, this inscription falls into the category of patterns and calligraphy side by side (adjacent). Considering the fine line between some Kufic scripts and their coexistence with decorations, according to Grohmann's classification, the script of this inscription can be considered a combination of foliated (muragga') and floral (muzahhar) Kufic. In this inscription, the letters of the Divine Names are accompanied by more decorations compared to other letters, and the verses used in this inscription, as far as the author has studied, have not been seen in other mihrab-shaped Iranian inscriptions, except for the mihrab-shaped inscription of the Mawid bin al-Musafir shrine in the Imamzadeh Abdullah of Shushtar, which is in Naskh script. A notable aspect of the calligraphy in this inscription is the inverted writing on its top, which has rarely been seen in such inscriptions.
Considering the uncertain exact date of this inscription, the evidence for its formation period is as follows. Since the peak usage of illegible (decorative) inscriptions was in the 3rd and 4th centuries (AH), it seems that the date of this inscription is after those centuries. Furthermore, considering that the verses inscribed on inscriptions sometimes indicate their period or purpose, based on the analysis of the verses on this inscription, which call for monotheism, resurrection, the impermanence of humans, and the reminder of death, one can assume that the construction time of this inscription falls between the early and middle centuries of the Islamic era. The reminder of death in the calligraphy of this inscription further strengthens the possibility that this work was associated with a tomb. The two-petal ornamental extensions and relatively simple decorations also weigh in favor of the proposed date for this inscription. Although the decorations of this inscription bring it closer to the early Islamic inscriptions, which had less ornamentation, since this is a stone inscription and the simplification of letters and calligraphy was more common in stone inscriptions due to the hardness of the material, this assumption seems questionable.
Considering that the peak usage of illegible inscriptions spanned from the third and fourth centuries until the middle of the seventh century (AH), this inscription can be attributed to that period. Additionally, since the Mihrab inscriptions of Iran were all in Kufic script until the sixth century, the proposed date (third to seventh centuries) for the creation of this inscription becomes more plausible.
In this inscription, the visual symbol of a chelipa (a decorative motif resembling a scorpion) is seen amidst the famous "bāzūband" (armband) pattern, of which numerous examples exist in Islamic architecture. The same pattern has been noted in the ornaments of the Ghiasiyeh Madrasah in Khargerd, which dates back to the seventh century, and in the inscriptions of the ruins of Ray. In Islamic calligraphy, this element is used for the emergence of the blessed names, remembrances, and hadiths of the divine saints, and it is understood as a sign of unity. As in other Iranian inscriptions, the principles of the calligraphy are followed to the extent of following the principles within the same inscription. That is, the calligraphy and decorations of this inscription have an internal and external visual image.