Abstract

The present study aims to explore the meanings, functions, elements, and principles of design in the motifs identified in the architecture of ancient monuments in present-day Gorgan, Golestan Province, located in northern Iran. These motifs were not necessarily used to merely decorate the buildings, but also to reflect the beliefs held by their designers. The designers used one or more architectural techniques such as repetition, variety, placement, isolation, proximity, coherence/continuation, visual divergence/convergence, orientation, progressive patterns, transitional boundary design, multi-grid lines (to control the viewer’s eye movement), unusual elements, and deviation from the overall pattern. This study tests the hypothesis that these designs mainly followed a specific style and were partially or completely contrary to natural references. In addition, the influence of Islamic geometrical art was traced in some works, which has suppressed the pre-Islamic design styles.