Avestan Architecture: A Descriptive Etymological Lexicon

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The Avesta could be considered as the most important masterpiece of ancient literature of Iran and its older parts as the oldest belletristic exploits. The importance of Avesta is firstly in its religious value and its sanctity and secondly in the picture it draws for us of ancient Iran. On the other hand, architecture is the greatest aspect of art and a very old one. Not many people have analyzed or interpreted the ancient Iranian texts in the context of architecture. In this research, the focus was on viewing the ancient Architecture of Iran through the Avesta, which was definitely used for religious purposes at that time. There is no doubt that nowadays, centuries after the era of Avesta, there is a huge difference between our modern architecture and the Avestan architecture. The main goal of this research was making a descriptive and etymological lexicon on Avestan architecture. Therefore, firstly every single vocabulary was studied etymologically, discussed literary and also given one example of the use of it in the Avesta. Finally, the authors have reached the conclusion that the Ahuramazda versus Ahriman fight can even be traced in the ancient architecture of Iran and its architectural descriptions, which can be studied more in the future.