Safavid Empire Essay

The Safavid Empire, which lasted from 1501 to 1722 was an empire that covered all of what is now known as Iran, as well as most of Turkey and Georgia. The Safavid Empire was a theocracy, which is a government that was founded and ruled by religious beliefs and rulers. Its was founded by a leader who declared himself Shah of Persia, his name was Ismail. The Safavids followed a religion known as Shi’ism and with the help of their strong military forces, spread it to neighbouring countries. By 1722 the Empire had begun to fall apart due to the lack of effectiveness from its former rulers. Throughout the years that the Safavid Empire lasted, they accomplished many achievements, some of them related to art. [1]

They were mostly known for their artistic traditions, which included; miniature painting, decoration, and calligraphy, however; they were also known for their handicrafts, such as; tile making and textiles. One of the artists at the time was Reza Abbasi. Reza Abbasi was a popular artist amongst the ones of his time. He introduced new ideas to Persian painting, like; youth and lovers, and was known to be the leader of the Isfahan school. His painting and calligraphic style influenced

many Iranian artists throughout much of the Safavid dynasty. Even though the Safavids were popular for their paintings, they were also known for their magnificent textiles. [2]

In the sixteenth century, carpet weaving evolved from being a peasant craft to a skilfully carried out activity involving design and manufacturing, they also started using quality fibres, like; silk.

The textiles they made became a common export, which caused Persian weaving to become the most prominent and popular among other goods [3]. One example of a famous textile is the Ardabil Carpet. The Ardabil Carpet, one of the world’s oldest, as well as the largest, Islamic carpet, got its name from the town of Ardabil, which is located in north-west Iran, and is also known to be the most historically important carpet, as it is tied up with the history of the Safavid dynasty [4]. The carpets, textiles, and paintings that the Safavids created have definitely positively impacted the

Empire.

The Safavids used to trade many of their artistic items. That was due to the fact that they were located in the central trade routes of the ancient world, they were then known as the central point of art, architecture, and poetry. The former leaders of the Safavids took their location as an advantage and fixated on trading items, such as; carpets, silk, and textiles, with Europe. Overtime the Empire gained money, which gave them a chance to build mosques and different architectures. [5]

After architecture was introduced to the Safavids it lead them to successfully build many famous artefacts, that are still there to this day. One example is the Imam Mosque in Isfahan, Iran. [6] The mosque was built during the Safavid period and was known to be one of the treasures of Persian architecture. The construction of the mosque began in 1611 during the reign of Shah Abbas. The mosque is an example of Islamic architecture, tile work, and stone carving in Iran. Its brilliance is mainly due to its seven-colour mosaic tiles and calligraphic inscriptions; in fact, on the main portal of the mosque a mosaic tile inscription that was made by Ali Reza Abbasi, the painter, can be seen, and the front doors of the mosque are also covered with calligraphic paintings. [7]

Overall, the Safavids have made great contributions to art. For example, their paintings, textiles, calligraphy and beautiful architecture. They have not only inspired many people throughout the Safavid dynasty, but the have also influenced the designs of some modern day mosques with their unique tile mosaic and calligraphy.