The Safavid Empire

Words: 742
Pages: 3

The Safavid Empire was able to adapt to many different styles of art for their tiles and their specialty, rugs. During the Yongle period, the Safavids imported their Iznik designs such as flowers, which were repeatedly used in all their textile art. These tiles were used in Safavid buildings and brought in new styles for their empire. For example, the Safavids modified the use of geometrical designs and shapes, known as the original Far East patterns. New colors started to be introduced to the Safavids; red, yellow, and a combination of blue and green were some of the colors. A major element that influenced the Safavid design was the creation of the infinite pattern that the Persians influenced. The infinite pattern and geometrical shapes was …show more content…
In this piece, I incorporated the different styles that the Safavids adapted from the Yongle period, Far East patterns, and the Persian influence. There is a combination of floral patterns, which was used in almost every aspect of the Safavid’s art and geometrical shapes, which was from Islamic art. More specifically, the Far East patterns followed along the same lines as Islamic art. Both consist of geometrical shapes that are drawn over and over again. This is essentially the definition of the infinite pattern. Somehow, all the different styles of designs have very similar concepts. My tile has a mixture of different colors that were brought in along with different interpretations of Islamic art from various time periods and empires. I used the main colors that were introduced to their empire, which was red, yellow, and a combination of green and blue. I also incorporated the use of pastel colors. My design was created by continually drawing geometrical shapes to make one huge design as a whole. With all the colors I used, it creates a vibrant piece of textile …show more content…
The Safavids controlled the area of Persia all the way into central Asia. Their dynasty was founded by Shāh Esmā’īl and consisted mostly of converted Sunnis to Shias, which was what made them different from other empires. The Safavid empire lasted from the beginning 15th century to the 17th century. Their capital, Esfahān, eventually became one of the world’s largest cities. Under the rule of Shāh’ Abbas, their empire reached the high point. They were able to strengthen their army by getting new weapons and training administrators to run the kingdom. How ever, intellectual freedom marked the height of the empire. In the beginning of the dynasty, women had a good amount of freedom, but were forced into seclusion orthodoxy increased. The Safavid Empire consisted of many different monarchies, which depicted the treatment of women during this time. For example, under the rule of Shah Ismail I, women were able to fight alongside the men during war and that represented a symbol of freedom. However, when Shah Tahmasp was ruling, women were forced to follow a set of 70 rules that listed all their limitations. There were certainly freer time periods for women during the Safavid rule, and you are able to see the different treatments that women experienced, from harsh conditions, to a sense of liberty. The Persia was able to witness the flowering of the arts and how it came to be. The Safavids