Exploring the brick decorative motifs of the graves of old cemeteries in Dezful

Abstract

Historical cemeteries are a reflection of the culture and religion of the community in which they were formed. With the expansion of cities, most of these cemeteries have been abandoned in remote areas, outside the city or in unsuitable protected areas, and no trace of dynamics and currents of urban space can be seen in them. As these cemeteries are a valuable part of tangible and intangible heritage of each society, it is essential to consider their recognition, registration, and conservation measures. Dezful is one of the cities with a unique living historical context and also historical cemeteries. Locating these cemeteries in the urban context has led to be effected by brick and patterns used in the structure of the city, and due to the fact that these cemeteries have been neglected over the years, they have been subject to risks such as complete destruction. This research seeks to investigate the brick designs of graves in Dezful cemeteries named Roudband, Baba Yusef, and Kashefiyeh. The main purpose of this article is studying the brick designs of gravestones located in the historical cemeteries of this city, classifying and identifying these cemeteries as treasures of the ancient architecture of Dezful City. In this regard, the research method used is descriptive and the required data gathered through field and library studies. The results of the research show that the brickwork decorations of the cemeteries in Dezful are divided into three groups: historical graves with glazed brickworks, historical graves with simple brickworks, and historical graves with combined brickworks (the combination of simple and glazed bricks). According to results, brick decorations with glazed bricks had a bigger share in this category, after which brick decorations with simple bricks, and finally the combination decorations. On the other hand, in addition to geometric and plant motifs in the heart of the motifs that are the result of using bricks and its proportions, religious, social, and plant motifs have been used on some graves.