City of Politico-Religious Reasons

Meidan Emam, Esfahan, is revealed as a pivotal politico-religious symbol in Iranian urban history, embodying the intersection of sovereignty and theological ideology. The study bridges architectural form with sociopolitical discourse, demonstrating how Meidan—particularly Naqsh-e Jahan Square—serves as a material manifestation of Iran's ideogram, integrating cognitive, symbolic, and cultural dimensions into its urban fabric. By reinterpreting Carl Schmitt’s political theology, the research uncovers the square's role in formalizing ideological power structures while advancing democratic discourse through spatial analysis. This approach offers a novel framework for understanding how public squares shape governance, identity, and collective memory in Islamic urbanism.

Mehan, A. (2022). City of Politico-Religious Reasons. Tehran, 7–25. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003140795-2