Sofalineh

Sofalineh

Themes of Quranic Stories and Religious Traditions in Folk Painting of the Qajar Period (A Case Study of Folk Painting in the Mazandaran Province)

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Fataneh Mahmodi
Assistant Professor, Handicrafts Department, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Mazandaran University, Mazandaran, Iran.
Abstract
The themes in paintings in every historical period are closely related to popular culture; thus the legends and beliefs of people play a significant role in their formation. The Qajar period is one of the historical periods of Iran from which many paintings have survived. Some of the traditional paintings of the Qajar period are available in the Mazandaran province. Examining the themes of such paintings can shed light on Iranian culture. The present research has been written in a descriptive and analytical way and by relying on data from library sources and field observations. The effect of motifs on the developments and events of the Qajar period include the spread of Ta'ziyeh in Iran, the use of lithography in the production of printed literary copies and the expansion of popular literature and art. The key issue under study in this article is to examine the folk stories of the Qajar era and how artworks with the mentioned themes are created and to scrutinize their relationship with the identity of Mazandaran art. The findings of the research indicate the event of the Ascension of the Prophet and the story of Solomon from the book “Qesas-al Anbia” are repeatedly depicted on the buildings of Mazandaran. The formation of a religious building as a place to hold Ta’zieh and religious ceremonies initiated from the Qajar era. The political events of the Qajar period and the religious beliefs of the people have played a prominent role in the formation of the identity of this region and have preserved and strengthened the cohesion of the people of this region from the past to the present day.
Research aims:

Studying the place of Quranic and religious themes in the traditional paintings of the Qajar period in Mazandaran.
Investigating the relationship between folk beliefs and the religious atmosphere of the Qajar period in the themes of traditional paintings of this period.

Research questions:

What is the place of Quranic stories and religious themes in the traditional paintings of the Qajar period in Mazandaran?
What is the role of the beliefs and religious atmosphere of the Qajar period in portraying the themes of the traditional paintings of this period?
Keywords
Qur'anic stories
Qajar folk painting
Ascension of the Prophet
religious beliefs
The Holy Quran.
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Sofalineh
Volume 1, Issue 2
September 2025
Pages 176-201