Certainly, here is the English translation of the provided text: The Holy Water Basin (Sangab) in the Religious Architecture of the Abrahamic Religions in Isfahan (Case Studies: Religious Buildings of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam)
Subject Areas : Islamic Architecture
somayeh omidvari
1
*
,
Javad Aghajani keshteli
2
1 - Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Science and Art, Yazd, Iran.
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of Art Research, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Science and Art, Yazd, Iran.
Keywords: Water, Holy Water Basin (Sangab), Religious-Worship Sites, Abrahamic Religions, Isfahan.,
Abstract :
Certainly, here is the English translation of the provided text:
The Holy Water Basin (Sangab) in the Religious Architecture of the Abrahamic Religions in Isfahan (Case Studies: Religious Buildings of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam)
Somayeh Omidvari *
Javad Aghajani Keshteli**
Water is a very important and meaningful element in the beliefs of the Abrahamic religions. In the form of the holy water basin (sangab) or the pool (howz) as a vessel for holding it, with specific features, it is seen in the sacred buildings of all three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This research seeks to examine the form, characteristics, and semantic position of the sangab in the architecture of the Abrahamic religions and to compare them with each other. The research method is analytical-descriptive, carried out using library resources and field surveys. All study samples are selected from the city of Isfahan, as a historical host to all three religions, including the Mulla Shimon Synagogue (as an example of Jewish architecture), Vank Cathedral (Christian), and the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan (Islamic). The research findings indicate that the sangab element has an effective presence in the temples of all three and was essential for completing the ritual ceremonies of the faithful, for washing and purification (ritual purity), baptism, etc. The results of the study show that despite their differences, these three religions share a conceptual commonality in the importance of the element of water and purity, and all three assigned a significant place to the sangabs within the semantic system of religious architecture.
Keywords: Water, Holy Water Basin (Sangab), Religious-Worship Sites, Abrahamic Religions, Isfahan.
Introduction
Buildings constructed for the worship of God or multiple deities in different religions, for performing various ritual duties throughout the year, and buildings constructed on the sidelines of ceremonies and rites associated with the metaphysical cultures of various nations are usually symbolic or contain various known and tangible symbols. Water, as one of the constituent elements of the world, holds a very special place in different cultures and civilizations across the world. In the Abrahamic religions, water also possesses great importance, and in all religious and sacred texts, the importance of the element of water and purity is mentioned. Alongside the discussion of sacredness as one of the highly valuable elements in creation, water also has the characteristic of cleansing and purification. Places of worship built for the worship of God or gods were usually located near water, and this issue was related not only to the typical feature of water but also to its narrative and ritual characteristics. One of the vessels for storing water in places of worship is the sangab. The sangab in all places of worship serves as a symbol of cleansing and preparation for worship activities. In the different religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the sangab has been associated with the concept of cleansing. Since limited studies have been conducted on sangabs, especially across different religions, this article attempts to examine the position of this element in the religious sites of the Abrahamic religions, such as early Jewish temples, Christian churches, and Islamic mosques. Isfahan is a historical city in Iran that has hosted various Abrahamic religions over time, and the physical structure of buildings associated with different religions is still visible on its surface. Focusing on the sacred sites of Isfahan, this article attempts to reread and re-identify the different types of sangab in the city's worship buildings.
Research Methodology
The research method is library-based, and its nature is descriptive-analytical. In this research, samples of all three types of worship buildings with sangab in Isfahan are examined and compared, with minimal control over variables such as geography, climate, and the use of materials. The samples include the sangabs in the Mulla Shimon (Mulla Nasi) Synagogue, Vank Cathedral, and the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan.
Results
Based on the religious and spiritual beliefs in each of the monotheistic religions, the presence of water has had various manifestations. Since purification (taharat) has been a dominant activity in places of worship, the purification sites have taken different forms depending on the methods of purification and cleanliness. Water storage and transfer sites range from a small vessel to a relatively large space. Sangabs, as one of the elements for storing water in the religious sites of the Abrahamic religions, have had special importance and standing, which are seen alongside the religious rituals and ceremonies in the worship buildings.
In the oldest Abrahamic religion, Judaism, worship buildings called synagogues were constructed. The sangab, one of the important elements in Jewish temples, served as a vital tool for ritual cleansing. According to the Holy Book, especially in the Book of Exodus, the sangab was built for the priests to wash their hands and feet before entering the Ark of the Covenant or approaching the altar. This act of washing was not merely a physical cleansing; it symbolized the spiritual purity required for serving God. Based on research, two types of water vessels can be assumed in the area of ancient Jewish temples, the location of which was in the outdoor space and before entering the enclosed space: first, a water vessel for the purification of the priests, and second, small pools for washing sacrificial animals before burning and offering them.
Juybareh, the main initial core of Isfahan, dates back to the Achaemenid era and the migration of Babylonian Jews by the order of Cyrus. Many synagogues were built in Juybareh during different periods, with historical examples from the Qajar period remaining today. The Mulla Shimon (Mulla Nasi) Synagogue in Isfahan has a sangab, and its construction dates back to the year 1243 SH (1864 CE). It is highly probable that the pool in the center of the Mulla Nasi Synagogue previously functioned as a sangab. This sangab has a rectangular geometry, and a part inside it has a greater depth and a curved geometry. It was built considering the necessity of purification before entering the synagogue. This sangab, with appropriate depth, was used for the purification of worshipers upon entering the synagogue. Its decorations consist of inscriptions in Hebrew script and carvings on the stone on the outer edges of the sangab.
Regarding Iranian Christians, it should be noted that the first entry of Christianity into Iran happened on a limited scale during the Parthian rule, but in the year 1014 AH (1605 CE), a large-scale, forced migration of Armenians took place by the order of Shah Abbas Safavi due to political and economic reasons. During their presence in Isfahan, the Armenians built more than 24 churches in the New Julfaneighborhood, about 14 of which remain today. One of the most prominent churches in Julfa is Vank Cathedral, or the Holy Savior Cathedral. The construction of this complex was completed in 1075 AH (1664 CE). The dome's ceiling is full of beautiful Safavid Islamic motifs. Surveys and field visits and conducted research indicate the existence of two sangabs in this church. First, the baptismal font sangab located in the room to the left of the altar. This sangab is rectangular and has a maximum depth of 30 cm. Its walls have inscription decorations in Armenian script, as well as floral and botanical decorations. This old sangab is currently preserved in the church museum. However, historical reports also indicate the existence of another sangab in this church. A sangab similar to the sangabs in Safavid mosques, which was built for this church during the Safavid era under the influence of Islamic culture, and its function was not for baptism but for drinking water and purification (taharat) and use for blessing before entering the church. This sangab was circular and close in size to contemporary mosque sangabs of the Safavid period, with a base beneath it. This sangab had carved inscriptions in Armenian script and decorative motifs on its outer wall. This sangab is not currently present in the church.
The Jameh Mosque of Isfahan is one of the oldest and most comprehensive mosques in Iran, having undergone many transformations over time and being subject to many changes during the Buyid, Seljuk, Ilkhanid, Safavid, and Qajar periods. The construction of sangabs reached its peak during the Safavid era and became closely associated with Shia thought and the sacredness of water among Iranians. A total of seven and sometimes eight sangabs in different parts of the building have been reported in the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan. These sangabs are in rectangular and circular forms, sometimes having decorations of inscriptions, plant, and geometric motifs on their bodies. The inscriptions carved on these sangabs are in both Persian and Arabic, engraved in Thuluth and Nasta'liq scripts, and include themes such as: endowment deeds (waqf-nameh), historical materials, and salutations and greetings to the infallible Imams. Three monolithic marble sangabs are located beneath the two eastern and western domes of the mosque and the forty-column hall (chehelsotun) on the eastern side of the large dome, and a delicate sangab made of jade is installed in the forty-column hall on the western side, decorated with floral and botanical arrangements, and around it are poems carved in raised Nasta'liq script, dated 1095 AH (1684 CE).
Discussion and Conclusion
By examining the sangab in all three Abrahamic religions, the importance of purity and the role of water in all places of worship across different religions can be understood. The sangab, as one of the places for storing and using water, has had great importance in all worship sites. These sangabs have had different functional, physical, formal, decorative, and geometric aspects. They generally had a limited capacity, so the use of water in them was more symbolic than functional. In Jewish rituals, the function of sangabs was generally the washing of hands and feet, the purification of worshipers, and the washing of sacrificial animals. In Christian religions, due to the importance of baptism, sangabs were generally used for the act of baptism. In Islamic rituals, although one of the functions of the sangab was to use water for purification and ablution (wudu), given the historical roots of the sangab in Shia culture, drinking this water during the summer heat and recalling the event of Karbala has had greater significance.
The location of the sangab in Jewish temples was mainly in open spaces, gaining meaning on the path of approach to the temple and in the transition through the hierarchy of entry into the complex. In Christianity, due to the necessity of baptism by the priest and the importance of this ritual activity, sangabs were generally placed in locations close to the altar. In the Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, these sangabs are placed in different parts of the mosque in a way that an average distribution can be observed throughout. Since sangabs are generally monolithic stones and have functioned as water vessels, their geometry is usually circular or hemispherical. In the set of three examined locations, over ninety percent of the sangabs were circular, but in some cases, these sangabs were also seen in the shape of a cuboid. All sangabs in the worship buildings of Isfahan had decorations. In all sangabs, the decorations are a combination of plant motifs along with written inscriptions. The inscriptions carry different meanings based on religious beliefs and rituals.
In a general view, the differences in the placement, geometry, function, and decoration of the sangabs in the three studied religions stem from differences in religious concepts, worship rituals, and also cultural and historical backgrounds. Nevertheless, the conceptual commonality in the importance of the element of water and purity in all Abrahamic religions has resulted in a shared position for the sangabs within the semantic system of religious architecture.
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* Corresponding Author: Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Science and Art, Yazd, Iran.
0000-0001-9941-5158
** Assistant Professor, Department of Art Research, Faculty of Art and Architecture, University of Science and Art, Yazd, Iran.
000-0002-2365-220X
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