From Royal Garden to Urban Square: The Emergence of the Mahjar and the Reconfiguration of the Iranian Cityscape in theFrom the royal garden into the square: the emergence of urban fences in late 19th-century Iran and reconfiguration of the cityscape.

Rashidzadeh, Kaveh; Hekmat, Golnar

doi:10.22052/jias.2026.257714.1442

From Royal Garden to Urban Square: The Emergence of the Mahjar and the Reconfiguration of the Iranian Cityscape in theFrom the royal garden into the square: the emergence of urban fences in late 19th-century Iran and reconfiguration of the cityscape.

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original

Authors

Kaveh Rashidzadeh ¹

Golnar Hekmat ²

¹ Department of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran

² Master of Architecture and Urban Regeneration, Sapienza, University of Rome, Italy

10.22052/jias.2026.257714.1442

Abstract

This article examines the increasing emergence of wooden railings (known as mahjar) in the urban spaces of Tehran, and later in several other Iranian cities, during the final three decades of Naser al-Din Shah’s reign. These railings, which gradually replaced the solid walls of gardens and buildings or were added as new elements in public space, significantly transformed the urban landscape and spatial experience of the period. Through a comparative spatial–temporal analysis of primary textual and visual sources, the study categorizes and describes the characteristics of these railings in terms of chronology, spatial setting, geography, function, material, color, form, and scale, while also exploring their relationship to buildings, gardens, and urban environments. The findings reveal that most railings first appeared in royal and governmental properties, particularly in the two central districts of Arg and Dowlat in Tehran, where the substitution of garden walls with railings—often following a uniform triangular design—intentionally opened the visual access of lush royal gardens to both locals and foreigners. This deliberate shift reshaped the public’s experience of urban space. The trend then extended to newly established state institutions such as hospitals and guesthouses, as well as to public squares in Tehran, Shiraz, and Kermanshah, where triangular wooden railings remained the dominant architectural model between 1280–1320 AH (1863–1902 CE).

Keywords

fence

NaseralDinShah

Tehran

royalspace

Qajar

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Journal of Iranian Architecture Studies

From Royal Garden to Urban Square: The Emergence of the Mahjar and the Reconfiguration of the Iranian Cityscape in theFrom the royal garden into the square: the emergence of urban fences in late 19th-century Iran and reconfiguration of the cityscape.

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