Zamani Brick Kiln, Babol.
The goals of architectural history studies are diverse. Some consider architectural history an important part of their cultural identity and strive to enrich the pages of this identity. Others look to the past with a practical perspective to build the future. Architectural history helps us understand the formation of various structures, their modifications, their evolution and expansion, and their eras of glory and decline.
For a general historian, a building is merely one piece of evidence among others; but for a historian of art and architecture, the building is the primary piece of evidence.
From the early seventeenth century, when Western Europe achieved scientific progress and simultaneously began to colonize other countries, a form of scientific and political hegemony took shape in the world. To justify this hegemony, to belittle other nations, and to gradually eliminate them from the scene of the history of global civilization’s progress, “erasure” and “distortion” became two key objectives for the world’s political powers.
In our view, the revival of the country’s architectural heritage is a serious void in today’s architectural and cultural landscape. If this leads to proposed plans based on expert opinions through proper advocacy and inquiry, and if the authorities act with prudence, we can witness a much richer future in this field.
