Investigating and analyzing the motifs of the tombstones of the Ounar cemetery

Tombstones have great importance in belief and artistic areas due to their close connection with human beliefs. Meshkinshahr’s city was selected as the studied area because of its location in a particular geographical area and its proximity to the Safavid religious capital (Ardabil) as well as its richness in terms of Islamic gravestones and lack of adequate studies in this area. Among the cemeteries of this city, the cemetery of Ounar was investigated due to presence of the main type of graves and various symbolic motifs. The purpose of this study was to identify typology, analyze the used symbolic designs or signs, particularly, paintings assigned to the Shiite religion, and chronologize the gravestones. This research has been conducted through field surveys and library studies based on the descriptive-analytical approach. The conducted studies have shown that the chronology of most graves is related to the Safavid period and the most common motifs are associated with religious traditions. The prayer of the Great Salat and the stylized three-leaf palm image is the symbol of Imam Hussein’s tomb which was common in the Safavid era (the 16th - mid-18th centuries).