The Identification and Typology of Traditional Doors of the Historical City of Masouleh

Abstract
Considering the rich history of Iran in the field of art and architecture, delightful doors with unique characteristics are found, each of which is derived from cultural, religious, and social interactions. Typology, recognition, and reproduction of antecedent motifs and designs in traditional doors could revive cultural identity in contemporary cities. Doors and windows are influential factors in shaping buildings in Iranian architecture. Having a thousand-year-old history with the presence of skilled blacksmiths and carpenters, Masouleh has treasured beautiful gates being formed in various buildings at different parts of the town. The purpose of the research is to determine the typology and knowledge of the types of traditional doors in the historical town of Masouleh. The research method is field and library studies. At first, 32 ancient doors in Masouleh were selected for field studies. In the next step, library and interview methods were used to identify the components and designs of the doors. The research results show that the doors in Masouleh are of three types: building, religious, residential and commercial. The doors of the religious buildings are classified into three levels: woodcarving, Girih, tiles, and geometric motifs. The most important factors shaping the decorations of religious doors is the praise of God, which is presented in the form of Islamic, animal, and calligraphy motifs. The doors of the residential buildings are classified into three levels: plain with no design, the ones with geometric design, and Girih tiles. Residential doors are formed based on a combination of the beautiful art of metalwork and woodwork, respect for the needs of the users, and the religious beliefs of the people of Masouleh. The doors of commercial buildings in Masouleh are in the form of collapsible and Girih tile designs. The flexible structure of the collapsible doors of commercial buildings allows for maximum coverage of the openings and visibility of handicrafts. The results indicate that the neighborhoods of Masjed-Bar, Khaneh-Bar, and Keshe-sar have the most classic traditional doors.
Keywords: Masouleh, Traditional Doors, Iranian-Islamic Arts, Typology.
 
Introduction
Doors and windows are influential factors in shaping buildings in Iranian architecture. In the structure of the doors of traditional Iranian buildings, the visual and emotional connection between the exterior and interior of the buildings is well observed in terms of cultural characteristics. Based on the environmental and climatic conditions of each geographical region of Iran, the created spaces have doors with numerous sizes, shapes, and variations from a functional perspective, based on which they have various names. Entrances play an essential role in separating buildings from public space. In Iranian architecture, doors are a symbol of entering into two different worlds; therefore, doors have semantic and physical sanctity in the beliefs of the Iranian people. Doors are manifestations of the religious beliefs of their inhabitants. With a thousand-year-old history and the presence of skilled blacksmiths and carpenters, Masouleh has treasured beautiful gates that were made in various buildings in different parts of the city. Unfortunately, due to the rapid pace of change at all levels of society and the existence of natural disasters and human disasters, it is feared that the traditional arts of Masouleh, which have been formed in this historic city for centuries, will become endangered in the not-too-distant future. In fact, conducting such research can play an important role in the preservation and introduction of works of art in Masouleh. The aim of the research is to find several types of traditional doors based on the frequency, function of buildings, differences and similarities of the decorative and functional structures of Masouleh doors. Achieving these goals is a step towards recognizing and properly protecting the monuments of the historic city of Masouleh. Accordingly, the research questions are as follows: Are the traditional doors of Masouleh classified into several categories? What are the effective factors in forming the designs and decorations of traditional Masouleh doors? How is the redundancy of traditional Masouleh doors among neighborhoods? What are the differences and similarities between the doors based on physical, functional and decorative terms? Research method: In the first section of the research, 564 existing buildings in Masouleh have been initially evaluated based on field studies, which include 445 residential buildings, 104 commercial buildings and 15 religious’ buildings. In the next step, information and pictures of 32 ancient doors of Masouleh, which were more decorated and older than other doors, have been prepared. In the last step, the components of the doors, the function of the door components, and the types of doors are interpreted and presented based on descriptive-analytical studies, depending on the use and the reason for the emergence of various types of traditional doors. 
 
Identified Traces
The doors of the historic city of Masouleh are derived from the social, religious, and cultural concepts of the people who have lived there for centuries. Findings show that the materials of the wooden frames and slats of traditional doors in Masouleh are from ebony, oak, walnut, beech, and maple trees. Also, metal fasteners for Masouleh doors such as studs (shamseh, Mallow and simple metal studs), knockers (simple, Poolaki knockers, separate and continuous-stud Poolaki knockers), metal handles made by local blacksmiths and other central provinces such as Yazd and Isfahan. Specifications for the physical dimensions of Masouleh doors include religious buildings = 1.50 cm wide and 2.50 cm high, residential buildings = 2.50 cm wide and 200 cm high, and commercial buildings = 400 cm wide and 200 cm high. The results also show that the old neighborhoods of Masouleh such as Masjed-bar, Khaneh-bar, Asad Mahalleh and Keshe-sar have the oldest traditional doors. Most of the nose designs are in the form of simple designs, leaf designs, and copper stud Mallow designs. The results show that the Masouleh’s doors do not often have studs and the design of the existing studs is also filled with copper studs with Mallow designs and Shamseh designs of 14, 12, 11, and 10 points. The point that should be mentioned is the attention of the people of Masouleh to the religious teachings and beliefs that have led to the emergence and installation of knockers for men and women on residential doors. The results show that the frequency of female knockers is higher than that of men. In general, the design of the hinges of Masouleh buildings is in the form of doors with a square rectangular design, with no design, crescent designs, Girih tiles, woodcarving, rhombus rectangular design, arrow design, arched design and collapsible doors.
 
Conclusion 
Masouleh doors are classified into three levels: religious, residential, and commercial. Religious buildings, due to their function as a place of worship for Muslims, have led to the formation of the doors of mosques with Islamic motifs and calligraphy for the praise of God and the deceased. The exterior doors of religious buildings often have woodcarvings and geometric patterns, and the middle and inner doors of the mosques in Masouleh are designed with Girih tiles. The results also show that traditional doors of residential buildings have three types of doors, including plain with no design, doors with geometric designs, and Girih tiles. Traditional doors of residential buildings have minimal designs on wooden slats, but they have beautiful metal decorations such as studs, knockers for men and women, internal and external locks and fasteners, Poolaki underknockers, and handles with plant and animal designs. The traditional doors of Masouleh’s commercial buildings are designed to meet the needs of users in collapsible and Girih tile forms. Collapsible doors have been used in most of the Masouleh commercial buildings due to their wide openings, ease of closing, light weight, and high security due to the lack of holes on the hinges. The doors of Masouleh’s commercial buildings do not include wooden and metal ornaments.