The Sense of Unity
The Sense of Unity
The Sufi Tradition in Persian Architecture
“The square of the Ka’bah … is not just a square. It is also the symbol of stability and completion and a reflection of the quadrangular temple of paradise of which the Ka’ba itself is the earthly image. The octagonal form of so many mosques is not just an architectural device to enable the architect to place the dome upon a square base, but a reflection of the Divine Throne, which according to Tradition is supported by eight angels. The dome is not just a way to cover the wall. It is the image of the vault of heaven and beyond it of the infinite and illimitable world of the Spirit of which the sphere or circle is the most direct geometric symbol … in traditional art, nothing is ever divorced from meaning…” from the foreword by Seyyed Hossein Nasr
