Ghavam-al-Din and Ghiyas-al-Din, both from Shiraz and both known as Masters, are among the renowned architects of the Timurid period. Among their works are Goharshad Mosque in Mashhad, probably Maulana Mosque in Taybad, Madresah and Khaneghah (convent) of Herat as well as Ulugh Bek Madresah in Rigestan Square, Samarqand, and Ghiyasiyyeh School in Khargerd, Khorasan. The latter finished by Ghiyas-al-Din in 848 AH after the demise of Ghavam-al-Din. According to Tarikh-e-Teymoorian (The History of Timurids), Ghavam-al-Din was familiar with astronomy. He died in 842 or 844 AH, i.e. six years before Shahrokh’s death. We do not know who the teacher of this architect was or which buildings he designed before designing these famous buildings. However, it is possible that Ghavam-al-Din Ibn Zein-al-Din was himself the son and pupil of Master Zein-al-Din Shirazi who, together with Master Shams-al-Din, built Shirin Beyk Agha’s tomb (one of Timur’s sisters) in 773 AH in Samarqand in Shah-e-Zendeh cemetery. In the past, architecture, like many other professions, was passed down from father to son within families and fathers preferred their son to any stranger in this matter. If they did not have a son, they would teach it to their brother or son-in-law. They would teach a stranger only if none of this was possible. Considering the fact that Ghavam-al-Din and Zein-al-Din were both from the same city and the name of Ghavam-al-Din’s father was also Zein-al-Din and they were both active in the same region in Khorasan and Transoxiana and the work of Master Zein-al-Din was built 40 years earlier than Ghavam-al-Din’s Goharshad Mosque, it is probable that Ghavam-al-Din was his son. In that case, since Ghiyas-al- Din is said to be the son or brother of Ghavam-al-Din, these three architects represent two or three generations of Timurid architects within a single family.
The Works of Masters Ghavam-al-Din and Ghiyas-al-Din Shirazi
Goharshad Mosque, Mashhad Goharshad Mosque, located in Astan-Quds-Razavi’s complex (Imam Reza’s shrine) in Mashhad is one of the most important buildings of the ninth century AH in Iran built in four-Ivan style. On both sides of the main Ivan, there are two minarets covered with glazed-tiles measuring 39 meters in height. The lofty dome of the mosque above the Maqsurah Ivan has added to the grandeur of the building. The height of the dome is 41 meters and the distance between the two layers of the dome is 10 meters. The outer surface is decorated with glazed bricks and an epigraph in kufic script. The courtyard measures 55 by 52 meters with an area of 2800sqm and a total area of 9400sqm. Many different patches of glazed-tiles have been added to the building façade in later periods. Although each has its own beauty, the beautiful architecture of the building is buried under glazed-tiles and other decorations hiding in part qualities of Timurid architecture which usually uses a combination of brick and tile in its decoration.
Ulugh Bek Madresah Rigestan Square is the name of a historical complex in Samarqand, Uzbekistan. The name refers to a river which dried up not long after the building was finished, leaving behind only ‘rigs’ or sands. The square is heavily damaged in the past centuries and was restored in under the Soviet Union. There are three important buildings in Rigestan: Ulugh Bek Madresah, Shirdar Mosque/Madresah
گورستان شاه زنده، سمرقندShah Zendeh cemetery, Samarqand
and Talakari Madrasah. Ulugh Bek Madresah facing the square was built by order of Ulugh Bek, son of Shahrokh. This four-Ivan building has four short minarets and a square courtyard surrounded by rooms used for the education of students of theology. The central vault is 35m high and it is possible that it was juxtaposed in the past with double-layered domes. Today, however, only remains of short vaulting roofs exist. The architecture of this building is also ascribed to Master Ghavam-al-Din Shirazi.
Maulana Mosque of Taybad Taybad city is located 60 kms south of Torbat Jam and 225 km south east of Mashhad next to today’s borders of Iran and Afghanistan. In this city, there is a beautiful building dating back to Timurid period called Maulana Sheikh Zein-al-Din’s Mosque and Tomb. As mentioned before, Ghiyas-al-Din Pir Ahamad Khvafi, Shahrokh’s vizier, ordered this project. The importance of this building lies in the beautiful epigraphs on the top of the entrance, its patchwork glazed-tiles and decorations around it showing minute artistic details of the Timurid period.
Khargerd Madresah Khargerd village, three kilometers south east of Khvaf and 146km east of Mashhad, is the birth place of Ghiyas-al-Din Pir Ahmad Khvafi the founder of the madresah. In the Timurid period, the madresah was expanded as the main institution for religious studies. All madresahs were equipped with a prayer hall, teaching room and sleeping rooms and the facilities they require. In many of them, the founder’s mausoleum was also included, a tradition that predates the Mongol rulers. The building is constructed in two storeys with 32 rooms and eight large square rooms on the corners and two big halls on both sides of the entrance and was built as a mosque/madresah. The inner and outer facades are decorated with colourful glazed-tiles mostly turquoise and azure and very beautiful patchwork of brick and glazed-tile with the patterns of Allah, Mohammad and Ali. The building is also decorated from inside with gypsum decorations.
* Zohreh Bozorgnia graduated in architecture from National Iranian University (Shahid Beheshti University). She has been active in the field of urbanism from 1978 up to now, and has been a member of the editorial board of Memar since 2003 and has published 53 articles on historical textures in professional journals. Bozorgnia is the author of two books titled Architects of Iran and Tekiyyehs and Hosseiniehs of Iran.