Ghiasieh Khargard Khaf School, the flagship of Timurid era buildings
Khargard is one of the ancient and famous villages or towns of Khaf province, which dates back to at least the fourth century AH. AH is named after valid historical and geographical texts such as “History of Neishabour” by Al-Hakim Neyshabouri (405-321 AH), “Surah Al-Ard” by Ibn Hawql (350 AH), “Ahsan Al-Taqasim Fi Maarefa Al-Aqalim” by Moqaddisi (375 AH) and “Ma’dan Al-Majm Yaghoot Hamavi (621-615 AH) has been mentioned.
It seems that over time, the reputation of the rabbit increased, its fame and greatness from the sixth to the ninth century. AH was at its peak because probably in the middle of the sixth century, one of the militias that played the role of comprehensive universities, was built in Khorgard by the efforts and order of “Khajeh Nizamat al-Mulk Tusi” and in the middle of the ninth century AH. AH The great and glorious school of Ghiasieh was built in Khorgard by the efforts of “Ghiasuddin Pir Ahmad Khafafi” and has continued the scientific mission of Khorgard Khafad.
It is interesting and thought-provoking that Ghiasieh Khorgard school is not only a cultural and educational institution but also gives credit to Khorgard as a visual and decorative symbol. The reason for this hypothesis is that all the exterior bodies are decorated with mosaic tiles and a combination of bricks and tiles, and no hot spots or signs of architectural structure can be seen in it.
Even at the back of the building (southwest front), an attempt has been made to make the building look beautiful by symmetrizing the prismatic protrusions on both sides and the protrusion of the back wall of the library and their arrangement with bricks and tiles.
Therefore, it can be assumed that Ghiasieh school has a proportionate and symmetrical structure and view, including a high entrance porch and two domes on both sides of the porch and two circular decorative towers with polygonal bases and a cylindrical stem on both corners of the entrance front as a visual symbol in the middle. The central square of the city was showing off.
Bernard Okin’s conception of the location and nature of the building refers to the symbolic appearance of the school to some extent:
Of course, Okin’s belief that Khargard was a small village in the Timurid era is questionable, because the size of Khargard’s ancient site is contrary to Okin’s theory, and on the other hand, Ghiasieh Khargerd School is considered an urban building, not a rural one. It may be more appropriate to accept the hypothesis that the symbolic embodiment of the school was displayed in the central square of the city of Khargerd.
Ghiasieh School is a building with four porches with a rectangular plan with dimensions of 56 x 44 meters, a high porch and an entrance at the middle of the northeast base, and a corridor from the end of the porch to the inside.
After the entrance, the first architectural space of the “porch” is a school-shaped cross, the right arm of which opens through a door to the “mosque” and the left arm to the “teacher”.
The mosque and the school are almost similar in terms of plan and decorations, with the difference that an exquisite altar is built on the wall of the qibla of the mosque.
Ghiasieh school is a type of four-porch building, which is the largest porch on the qibla side, and the two side porches of the school are relatively smaller and symmetrical to each other.
On both sides of each porch, there are eight pavilions or porches with eight rooms at the end in two floors. In each corner, in addition to two relatively large cross-shaped rooms on top of each other, a door is installed that allows entry to the first floor and the roof.
From the middle of the end wall of the south-west porch or the qibla porch of the school, a door opens to a rectangular hall. It is possible that it was the architectural space of the school library.
Ghiasieh Khorgard school has one main door and eight side entrances that lead to the school from both sides. It is interesting to note that on the plaster body of the side walls of those gates, there are no signs or signs of installation, and this means that public movement inside the school is allowed and possible, and this is evidence that The area around the school was open and probably a public thoroughfare.
The presence of a large number of Taliban scholars and professors of Ghiasieh School in Khargerd has led to the prosperity and spread of science and knowledge in that city.
Architectural style, architectural decorations and inscriptions
Ghiasieh Khargard Khaf School was built in the style of “Azeri” architecture. In this style of architecture, which began in Azerbaijan in the early eighth century AH and then spread throughout Iran, the buildings were built in two stages of hardening and joinery; If in the previous method or “secret method”, the building was formed in one step and the decorations and inscriptions were placed on the body of the building at the same time as the walls were laid.
In the Azeri style, architects and artists had the opportunity to erect the bodies inside and outside the building with the help of various materials.
Following this principle, as well as the structure of the building, the emphasis on the beauty and scenery of Ghiasieh School has been established in all parts of the school, and the architect has taken steps to make it look like “Paradise”.
From the north front, if we look at the entrance porch, in addition to the symmetry of the towers in the two corners and the pavilions on the side of the porch, observing the golden ratios in the openings and heights, the view of the building seems very harmonious and logical.
By arranging the tiles in various mosaic methods and seven colors, they have displayed the most beautiful landscape in the form of geometric, plant and inscription motifs. The harmony and balance of the symmetrical domes of the mosque and the school with the entrance porch is pleasant.
On both sides of the entrance porch of Ghiasieh school, there is a mosque and a teacher (assembly hall). These two magnificent architectural spaces are the same in terms of design but slightly different in terms of architectural decorations, but both are scenic and beautiful.
The main structural difference is that the hall on the right (mosque) has an altar on the side of the qibla. They have formed decorations and inscriptions, causing the viewer to be amazed and admired.
The interior decoration of the mosque and the teacher is also beautiful and magnificent. The plinth of the walls is decorated with star and polygonal patterns formed by a combination of white tiles and marble, and the corners of the rafters are equipped with marble columns up to a height of about one meter.
Turning the square base into octagonal and hexagonal, and finally a beautiful octagonal skylight in the middle of a sun, with filigrees, the artist has the opportunity to use Mogharnas, appropriate framing and painting on plaster under the dome as jewelry, and interesting and beautiful skylights. Which reflected the rays of light from the ceiling to the bodies, created a dreamy and beautiful landscape in the moqarnas and frames by creating light shadows.
All the decorative factors and the structure of the mosque and the teacher have made them suitable spiritual and educational spaces.
The interior body arrays of the schoolyard, porches and pavilions are also very beautiful and solid.
The four porches and the entrance to the north porch inside and outside are decorated with a large and beautiful white inscription on an azure background, and on the bases of the pavilions between the pavilions are decorative frames in green, orange, turquoise and blue on an azure background. Some of them are written in inscriptions and some are decorated with geometric and plant decorative motifs. The two-sided elastics of the arches are also decorated with Islamic and colorful decorations. The walls of the pavilions and porches up to a height of about one meter have a decorative plinth with a combination of marble and tiles, and the body of the pavilions is decorated with rational lines and geometric frames. The walls and ceilings of the porches are decorated with satin flowers, suns and cross-shaped frames, and the end of the porches is decorated with elaborate and beautiful moqarnas. According to the inscriptions, Ghiasieh Khorgard school was founded by the efforts of “Pir Ahmad Khafi”, the minister of Shahrokh Teymouri, and with the artistic architecture of two brothers of the architect named “Ghavam al-Din” and “Ghias al-Din” Shirazi. Master Ghavam-ud-Din did not finish his work and died and was buried a short distance from the school in Khargard Public Cemetery and his brother Ustad Ghias-ud-Din in 848 AH. AH finished the job. That magnificent building was probably named “Ghiasieh” after him and Ghiasuddin Pir Ahmad Khafafi, and after that, the white plastered pages of its walls became the manifestation of instructive poems and lessons in some places.
This building has been damaged a lot over the years and has been repaired and stabilized by the National Monuments Association and the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of Khorasan for many years.
The allocation of Ghiasieh Khargerd School to the “Faculty of Arts” seems to be the most appropriate action by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts and the Ministry of Science and Research.