Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DOMES (Architectural Technology Transfer on the Silk Road: Iranian Double-Shell Domes and the West: 14th to 20th Century)
Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2025-08-31
Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project
DOMES explores the shared architectural heritage of Europe and the Middle East by tracing the transmission of architectural knowledge along the Silk Road during two historical periods: from Seljuk and Ilkhanate Iran to medieval Italy during the 11th-14th century, and from Italy to Iran during the second half of the 20th century. Challenging traditional stylistic classifications, the project centers on structural techniques—specifically the construction and restoration of double-shell brick domes—to offer a more material-based, site-specific understanding of architectural history.
DOMES investigates two key forms of knowledge exchange: the medieval transfer of dome-building technologies from Iran to Italy, and a reverse flow of preservationist knowledge from Italy to Iran in the 20th century. By examining previously unpublished archival material in multiple locations in Iran and conducting on-site analyses of historic restorations, DOMES aims to reconstruct a global history of construction and conservation practices.
While Italian domes have been study in depth, Iranian counterparts did not receive the same scrutiny and lack fundamental modern survey data. Thus, in order to adequately compare structures in Italy and Iran, modern techniques have been employed to fully understand the forms and structures of Iranian domes, and related archival collections in Iran and Italy have been studied to find the historical and social context to their construction and the restoration carried out by Italian experts in the 1960s-1970s.
DOMES ultimately seeks to restore the historical continuity of technical and cultural exchange across Eurasia, offering a new model for understanding medieval architectural history through material and collaborative lenses.
DOMES investigates two key forms of knowledge exchange: the medieval transfer of dome-building technologies from Iran to Italy, and a reverse flow of preservationist knowledge from Italy to Iran in the 20th century. By examining previously unpublished archival material in multiple locations in Iran and conducting on-site analyses of historic restorations, DOMES aims to reconstruct a global history of construction and conservation practices.
While Italian domes have been study in depth, Iranian counterparts did not receive the same scrutiny and lack fundamental modern survey data. Thus, in order to adequately compare structures in Italy and Iran, modern techniques have been employed to fully understand the forms and structures of Iranian domes, and related archival collections in Iran and Italy have been studied to find the historical and social context to their construction and the restoration carried out by Italian experts in the 1960s-1970s.
DOMES ultimately seeks to restore the historical continuity of technical and cultural exchange across Eurasia, offering a new model for understanding medieval architectural history through material and collaborative lenses.
Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far
2023-2024. During the two years of the outgoing phase in Iran, the research to achieve the goals of the DOMES project combined on-site scientific data with archival research. At the end of the first academic year in June 2024, a three-day event in Soltaniyeh and a lecture at Shahid Beheshti university were organized.
1. PREPARATORY CONFERENCE IN SOLTANIYEH
At the end of the first year in Iran, a conference was held from 9th to 11th of June 2024 in Soltaniyeh, in collaboration with the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning of Shahid Beheshti University and the parties that oversight the management of Soltaniyeh’s mausoleum: “Iranology Foundation of Zanjan Province” and the “Soltaniyeh Dome World Heritage Site.” In addition to funds by DOMES, this event was supported by the Zanjan Governor's Office, Soltaniyeh County Governor's Office, the Zanjan Provincial Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, and Soltaniyeh Municipality. The first day involved a field study and detailed examination of the existing condition of the Soltaniyeh Dome. The second day involved a meeting and discussion between Prof. Safaeipour, Dr. Lorenzo Vigotti with officials from Soltaniyeh city and Zanjan province. Among the concerns raised were the history of damage inflicted on the monument, the vital role of the local community in its preservation, the importance of educating school students to appreciate the site's values, the revival of 14 hectares of the surrounding area that has been destroyed over the past decades, and the potential for collaboration with Zanjan Province universities in re-evaluating the heritage of Soltaniyeh. During the third day, among other lectures, Dr. Vigotti presented a paper entitled “Diplomatic, Cultural, and Artistic Exchanges on the Silk Road between Ilkhanate Iran and Italy,” exploring the historical relations between Iran and Italy. This three-day event has been featured in both SBU website in Farsi and on UniBoMagazine in Italian.
2. SEMINARS IN TEHRAN
Two seminars were held on the morning of June 11th at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University. The program included a seminar focusing on the study project of the structural construction of the monument, demonstrating the necessity of exploring architectural history through the lens of construction history. To provide a comparison with European architectural scholarship, Dr. Vigotti presented a lecture titled “Residential Architecture in Florence between 1300-1500: Structures, Innovations, Lifestyle.”
2024-25 During the second academic year, most of the fieldwork was carried in Soltaniyeh and in archival collections scattered in Iran.
3. FIELDWORK 1 (Preliminary geotechnic survey for foundation identification)
On 10-11 November 2025, a tomography test was conducted to to determine the depth of the building's foundation, led by Prof. Hojjat Haghnashnas, a faculty member of the Zanjan University of Advanced Sciences in Basic Sciences. This operation, employing the method of tomography and transmitting sound waves into the ground, was an initial experimental attempt to document and identifying the dome's foundation. Preliminary studies indicated that the results obtained from this method were not sufficiently interpretable and did not clearly distinguish the foundation structures and soil layers. Haghnashnas conducted this survey along two axes on the floor of the dome chamber. Unfortunately, the data obtained from these two axes were inconsistent with each other, making interpretation difficult. It also became clear that the information gathered from this survey was too general, and the team decided to abandon this approach and instead pursue more reliable methods, such as an excavation of the foundation.
4. FIELDWORK 2 (Total station survey, photogrammetric survey)
The second fieldwork was carried out between 21 November to 7 December 2024, which included total station surveying, dismantling of the scaffolding on the western facade of the external gallery, full photogrammetry of the monument, partial endoscopy between the double shell of the dome, and a preliminary collection of documents from the archives at Soltaniyeh Dome World Heritage Site and the Zanjan Cultural Heritage Department. For the first task, Eng. Farshad Salehi conducted a survey using a total station (Leica 1100) with an accuracy of approximately 3 arc-seconds, and circa 250 points in the structure and its surrounding area were identified and recorded (21-14 November).
The second task was the dismantling of scaffolding erected as workshop for the restoration of the brick vault on the western side of the external gallery, because the presence of the scaffolding obstructed the movement of the drone and disrupted the photogrammetric operations of the structure. Following direct coordination with the director of the site Dr. AAli, it was decided that the scaffolding in this section would be dismantled, to be rebuild at the end of survey operations.
The third task was the photogrammetric survey of all exterior surfaces (4-7 December). Initially,
the walls of the building, the galleries, the minarets, the roof, and the extrados of the dome were photographed using a flying drone (Phantom 4 Pro Version 2). In a second moment, images were captured from different angles of the structure using two DSLR cameras (Nikon D850 with 24-50mm lenses and Fuji 50s2 camera with 35-70mm lenses) to ensure maximum overlap between the captured images to obtain an accurate point cloud model with them.
The fourth operation was to carry out an endoscopic survey of the gap between the two brick shells of the dome. Due to the narrow gap between the two shells of the monument (circa 60 cm), conventional access to this space is not possible; however, the decay of some of the wooden poles once placed in the inner shell have created empty round cavities, allowing endoscopy access. All cavities were labeled with English alphabet letters and cataloged. Then, using a small rechargeable spotlight (LED light source DBK SLA004R model with a color temperature setting of 5500 Kelvin and a brightness range of 90-100%) and smartphones (Samsung A54 and iPhone 20 Pro) mounted on a monopod, the space between the two shells was documented by photos and videos.
A fifth task was carried out at the same time of the other operations: the collection of archival materials related to the monument. In collaboration with Mr. Kordalivand, the head of the library and archive of the Soltaniyeh Dome World Heritage Site, all documents were reviewed and cataloged (1 November). Similar research was conducted at the library and archive of the Zanjan Cultural Heritage Department, in collaboration with Ms. Vafa, the head of the archive, and Mr. Dariush Naderi, the director of the Zanjan Cultural Heritage Department (5-17 December). Approximately 8,300 pages of different materials including books, printed reports, drawings, and CDs related to the research project were stored.
5. FIELDWORK 3 (Laser scan survey, photogrammetric survey of interior, GPR, oral history)
The third and most important fieldwork was conducted between 27 December 2024 and 22 January 2025 and from 28-30 January 2025.
While in Italy for winter break, it was possible to organize two interviews with leading figures at the time of the restoration campaign carried out in the 1970s in Soltaniyeh. In fact, while existing restoration reports, including quarterly and semi-annual reports, provide valuable information on the overall interventions, they lack many details regarding the interventions, the rationale behind the decisions made, and the decision-making and implementation processes. In order to refine the fieldwork methodology and gain deeper insight into the restoration process, Dr. Marco Brambilla, the supervising professor of the monument restoration workshop, was interviewed in Rome (27 December 2024), and Arch. Enrico d’Errico, the on-site director of the restoration, was interviewed in Quarrata (5 January 2025).
The second task was the laser scanning survey (26 December 2024 – 2 January 2025).
Due to various obstacles within the interior spaces of the monument—such as scaffolding and wooden planks—photogrammetry of the interior spaces using drones was not feasible. Most of the interior spaces of the monument were documented using several laser scanning devices (Matterport Pro2 model MC250 and Geosunlidar model GS-100G). The survey was carried out by Arch. Mahmoud Panahi, an expert in photogrammetric and laser scan documentation of architectural structures educated in Italy, with his assistants Eng. Amir Heydari and Eng. Hojjat Alimohammadi.
The third task was the photogrammetric survey of small interior spaces (26-29 December 2024, 28-30 January 2025). In fact, this was the only solution to survey narrow and dark interior spaces such as staircases and the interiors of minarets. It is impossible for laser scanning devices to accurately calculate the Time of Flight (ToF) and determine the exact location of previous stations in these conditions). Following several rounds of trial and error, it was decided that these spaces would be documented using photogrammetry with DSLR cameras (Nikon D7100 with 18–200mm lens, a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 camera, and a DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone camera). Before photographing, the structure of these spaces was marked with special targets, and a method for lighting the dark areas using portable projectors was adopted.
The fourth task was the total station survey and the connection of points taken in the interior and exterior spaces (30-31 December 2024, 29-30 January 2025). In fact, the point cloud model obtained from different spaces is disjointed and fragmented. In order to correctly connect the point cloud obtained from the interior spaces, some points within these spaces need to have geographic coordinates. However, since the use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) is not feasible inside the building, points with UTM coordinates were identified outside the building using a total station (TCR1201 Plus Reflectorless with an accuracy of approximately 1 second), and the exterior point network was connected to the interior points.
The fifth task was the surveying of the interior structure of the domes (7, 11, 17 January 2025)
One of the primary goals of this project is the precise understanding of the materials and structural system used in the double-shell dome. To achieve this objective, a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey of the dome was carried out using a GPR scanner (GSSI Flex NX). By receiving the reflected waves, anomalies were recorded. Interpretation of these anomalies revealed the location of the ribs between the two shells and other structural elements.
The sixth task was the photographic survey for the creation of a Virtual Tour model (29 December 2024 – 20 January 2025). To study the monument and capture its complex spatial relationships, it is essential to create an accurate and comprehensive virtual model of the monument, which will allow future users from all around the world to navigate the spaces of the mausoleum from their computers. To prepare such a model, circa 1,500, 360-degree images had to be taken from stations with minimal distances throughout all spaces using a camera (Insta360 X4).
The seventh task was the erection of scaffolding and the installation of protective coverings.
After surveying the interior spaces of the monument using photogrammetry and laser scanning methods and creating a virtual tour, according to a previous commitment, the scaffolding that had been removed from the western side of the gallery had to be set up again. To this end, the scaffolding was re-erected, and within two days, it was returned to its previous state before being dismantled. Additionally, to complete the endoscopy operation of the dome's cavities, which was carried out in the second phase of the field studies, it was necessary to ensure access to these cavities and the safety of movement on the scaffolding planks. Therefore, the scaffolding contractor was asked to inspect the planks and safety barriers at the specified locations. It was determined that the scaffolding planks were sturdy and secure, but to ensure the safety of work on them, it was decided that they would wrap ropes around the scaffolding to create a safety barrier along the access path to the cavities, allowing the endoscopic operation to be carried out.
The eighth task was the endoscopic survey of the holes in upper four levels of the internal dome. After studying the information collected from the earlier endoscopy of the dome cavities. In this phase, the documentation was carried out with a 360-degree imaging camera (Insta360 X4).
The ninth task was the collection of archival materials from the Soltaniyeh Dome Heritage Site.
Following research that lasted about a week, approximately 3,500 pages of documents containing valuable historical information, including drawings of the monument, images of the restoration workshop in the 1970s and 1980s, and secondary reports, were collected.
The tenth task was the documentation of brick-kiln and stone-carving workshops. In fact, since the start of the restoration project in the 1970s, the need to produce these two materials using traditional methods required the establishment of brick-making and stone-carving workshops. Together with Ahmad Rahmani, the executive manager of the Soltaniyeh Dome World Heritage Site, on 14, 16, and 20 January 2025 the team met with Mustafa Dadashi (Clay washer), Rahman Fathollahi (Clay kneader), Nasser Ayaseh (Molder), Mohammadreza Asadi (Brick Kiln Supervisor), and Amir Zamani (Brickmaker) in the brick workshop, as well as Nosrat Shahgholi (Master Stonecarver), Ruhollah Najafi (Stonecarver), and Faramarz Najafi (Stonecarver) in the stone-carving workshop. Processes and tools used in these two workshops were documented.
1. PREPARATORY CONFERENCE IN SOLTANIYEH
At the end of the first year in Iran, a conference was held from 9th to 11th of June 2024 in Soltaniyeh, in collaboration with the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning of Shahid Beheshti University and the parties that oversight the management of Soltaniyeh’s mausoleum: “Iranology Foundation of Zanjan Province” and the “Soltaniyeh Dome World Heritage Site.” In addition to funds by DOMES, this event was supported by the Zanjan Governor's Office, Soltaniyeh County Governor's Office, the Zanjan Provincial Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, and Soltaniyeh Municipality. The first day involved a field study and detailed examination of the existing condition of the Soltaniyeh Dome. The second day involved a meeting and discussion between Prof. Safaeipour, Dr. Lorenzo Vigotti with officials from Soltaniyeh city and Zanjan province. Among the concerns raised were the history of damage inflicted on the monument, the vital role of the local community in its preservation, the importance of educating school students to appreciate the site's values, the revival of 14 hectares of the surrounding area that has been destroyed over the past decades, and the potential for collaboration with Zanjan Province universities in re-evaluating the heritage of Soltaniyeh. During the third day, among other lectures, Dr. Vigotti presented a paper entitled “Diplomatic, Cultural, and Artistic Exchanges on the Silk Road between Ilkhanate Iran and Italy,” exploring the historical relations between Iran and Italy. This three-day event has been featured in both SBU website in Farsi and on UniBoMagazine in Italian.
2. SEMINARS IN TEHRAN
Two seminars were held on the morning of June 11th at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Shahid Beheshti University. The program included a seminar focusing on the study project of the structural construction of the monument, demonstrating the necessity of exploring architectural history through the lens of construction history. To provide a comparison with European architectural scholarship, Dr. Vigotti presented a lecture titled “Residential Architecture in Florence between 1300-1500: Structures, Innovations, Lifestyle.”
2024-25 During the second academic year, most of the fieldwork was carried in Soltaniyeh and in archival collections scattered in Iran.
3. FIELDWORK 1 (Preliminary geotechnic survey for foundation identification)
On 10-11 November 2025, a tomography test was conducted to to determine the depth of the building's foundation, led by Prof. Hojjat Haghnashnas, a faculty member of the Zanjan University of Advanced Sciences in Basic Sciences. This operation, employing the method of tomography and transmitting sound waves into the ground, was an initial experimental attempt to document and identifying the dome's foundation. Preliminary studies indicated that the results obtained from this method were not sufficiently interpretable and did not clearly distinguish the foundation structures and soil layers. Haghnashnas conducted this survey along two axes on the floor of the dome chamber. Unfortunately, the data obtained from these two axes were inconsistent with each other, making interpretation difficult. It also became clear that the information gathered from this survey was too general, and the team decided to abandon this approach and instead pursue more reliable methods, such as an excavation of the foundation.
4. FIELDWORK 2 (Total station survey, photogrammetric survey)
The second fieldwork was carried out between 21 November to 7 December 2024, which included total station surveying, dismantling of the scaffolding on the western facade of the external gallery, full photogrammetry of the monument, partial endoscopy between the double shell of the dome, and a preliminary collection of documents from the archives at Soltaniyeh Dome World Heritage Site and the Zanjan Cultural Heritage Department. For the first task, Eng. Farshad Salehi conducted a survey using a total station (Leica 1100) with an accuracy of approximately 3 arc-seconds, and circa 250 points in the structure and its surrounding area were identified and recorded (21-14 November).
The second task was the dismantling of scaffolding erected as workshop for the restoration of the brick vault on the western side of the external gallery, because the presence of the scaffolding obstructed the movement of the drone and disrupted the photogrammetric operations of the structure. Following direct coordination with the director of the site Dr. AAli, it was decided that the scaffolding in this section would be dismantled, to be rebuild at the end of survey operations.
The third task was the photogrammetric survey of all exterior surfaces (4-7 December). Initially,
the walls of the building, the galleries, the minarets, the roof, and the extrados of the dome were photographed using a flying drone (Phantom 4 Pro Version 2). In a second moment, images were captured from different angles of the structure using two DSLR cameras (Nikon D850 with 24-50mm lenses and Fuji 50s2 camera with 35-70mm lenses) to ensure maximum overlap between the captured images to obtain an accurate point cloud model with them.
The fourth operation was to carry out an endoscopic survey of the gap between the two brick shells of the dome. Due to the narrow gap between the two shells of the monument (circa 60 cm), conventional access to this space is not possible; however, the decay of some of the wooden poles once placed in the inner shell have created empty round cavities, allowing endoscopy access. All cavities were labeled with English alphabet letters and cataloged. Then, using a small rechargeable spotlight (LED light source DBK SLA004R model with a color temperature setting of 5500 Kelvin and a brightness range of 90-100%) and smartphones (Samsung A54 and iPhone 20 Pro) mounted on a monopod, the space between the two shells was documented by photos and videos.
A fifth task was carried out at the same time of the other operations: the collection of archival materials related to the monument. In collaboration with Mr. Kordalivand, the head of the library and archive of the Soltaniyeh Dome World Heritage Site, all documents were reviewed and cataloged (1 November). Similar research was conducted at the library and archive of the Zanjan Cultural Heritage Department, in collaboration with Ms. Vafa, the head of the archive, and Mr. Dariush Naderi, the director of the Zanjan Cultural Heritage Department (5-17 December). Approximately 8,300 pages of different materials including books, printed reports, drawings, and CDs related to the research project were stored.
5. FIELDWORK 3 (Laser scan survey, photogrammetric survey of interior, GPR, oral history)
The third and most important fieldwork was conducted between 27 December 2024 and 22 January 2025 and from 28-30 January 2025.
While in Italy for winter break, it was possible to organize two interviews with leading figures at the time of the restoration campaign carried out in the 1970s in Soltaniyeh. In fact, while existing restoration reports, including quarterly and semi-annual reports, provide valuable information on the overall interventions, they lack many details regarding the interventions, the rationale behind the decisions made, and the decision-making and implementation processes. In order to refine the fieldwork methodology and gain deeper insight into the restoration process, Dr. Marco Brambilla, the supervising professor of the monument restoration workshop, was interviewed in Rome (27 December 2024), and Arch. Enrico d’Errico, the on-site director of the restoration, was interviewed in Quarrata (5 January 2025).
The second task was the laser scanning survey (26 December 2024 – 2 January 2025).
Due to various obstacles within the interior spaces of the monument—such as scaffolding and wooden planks—photogrammetry of the interior spaces using drones was not feasible. Most of the interior spaces of the monument were documented using several laser scanning devices (Matterport Pro2 model MC250 and Geosunlidar model GS-100G). The survey was carried out by Arch. Mahmoud Panahi, an expert in photogrammetric and laser scan documentation of architectural structures educated in Italy, with his assistants Eng. Amir Heydari and Eng. Hojjat Alimohammadi.
The third task was the photogrammetric survey of small interior spaces (26-29 December 2024, 28-30 January 2025). In fact, this was the only solution to survey narrow and dark interior spaces such as staircases and the interiors of minarets. It is impossible for laser scanning devices to accurately calculate the Time of Flight (ToF) and determine the exact location of previous stations in these conditions). Following several rounds of trial and error, it was decided that these spaces would be documented using photogrammetry with DSLR cameras (Nikon D7100 with 18–200mm lens, a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 camera, and a DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone camera). Before photographing, the structure of these spaces was marked with special targets, and a method for lighting the dark areas using portable projectors was adopted.
The fourth task was the total station survey and the connection of points taken in the interior and exterior spaces (30-31 December 2024, 29-30 January 2025). In fact, the point cloud model obtained from different spaces is disjointed and fragmented. In order to correctly connect the point cloud obtained from the interior spaces, some points within these spaces need to have geographic coordinates. However, since the use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) is not feasible inside the building, points with UTM coordinates were identified outside the building using a total station (TCR1201 Plus Reflectorless with an accuracy of approximately 1 second), and the exterior point network was connected to the interior points.
The fifth task was the surveying of the interior structure of the domes (7, 11, 17 January 2025)
One of the primary goals of this project is the precise understanding of the materials and structural system used in the double-shell dome. To achieve this objective, a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey of the dome was carried out using a GPR scanner (GSSI Flex NX). By receiving the reflected waves, anomalies were recorded. Interpretation of these anomalies revealed the location of the ribs between the two shells and other structural elements.
The sixth task was the photographic survey for the creation of a Virtual Tour model (29 December 2024 – 20 January 2025). To study the monument and capture its complex spatial relationships, it is essential to create an accurate and comprehensive virtual model of the monument, which will allow future users from all around the world to navigate the spaces of the mausoleum from their computers. To prepare such a model, circa 1,500, 360-degree images had to be taken from stations with minimal distances throughout all spaces using a camera (Insta360 X4).
The seventh task was the erection of scaffolding and the installation of protective coverings.
After surveying the interior spaces of the monument using photogrammetry and laser scanning methods and creating a virtual tour, according to a previous commitment, the scaffolding that had been removed from the western side of the gallery had to be set up again. To this end, the scaffolding was re-erected, and within two days, it was returned to its previous state before being dismantled. Additionally, to complete the endoscopy operation of the dome's cavities, which was carried out in the second phase of the field studies, it was necessary to ensure access to these cavities and the safety of movement on the scaffolding planks. Therefore, the scaffolding contractor was asked to inspect the planks and safety barriers at the specified locations. It was determined that the scaffolding planks were sturdy and secure, but to ensure the safety of work on them, it was decided that they would wrap ropes around the scaffolding to create a safety barrier along the access path to the cavities, allowing the endoscopic operation to be carried out.
The eighth task was the endoscopic survey of the holes in upper four levels of the internal dome. After studying the information collected from the earlier endoscopy of the dome cavities. In this phase, the documentation was carried out with a 360-degree imaging camera (Insta360 X4).
The ninth task was the collection of archival materials from the Soltaniyeh Dome Heritage Site.
Following research that lasted about a week, approximately 3,500 pages of documents containing valuable historical information, including drawings of the monument, images of the restoration workshop in the 1970s and 1980s, and secondary reports, were collected.
The tenth task was the documentation of brick-kiln and stone-carving workshops. In fact, since the start of the restoration project in the 1970s, the need to produce these two materials using traditional methods required the establishment of brick-making and stone-carving workshops. Together with Ahmad Rahmani, the executive manager of the Soltaniyeh Dome World Heritage Site, on 14, 16, and 20 January 2025 the team met with Mustafa Dadashi (Clay washer), Rahman Fathollahi (Clay kneader), Nasser Ayaseh (Molder), Mohammadreza Asadi (Brick Kiln Supervisor), and Amir Zamani (Brickmaker) in the brick workshop, as well as Nosrat Shahgholi (Master Stonecarver), Ruhollah Najafi (Stonecarver), and Faramarz Najafi (Stonecarver) in the stone-carving workshop. Processes and tools used in these two workshops were documented.
Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)
DOMES seeks to move beyond traditional classifications of architectural history focused on styles and forms, advancing instead a history of construction rooted in material practices, site-specific traditions, and craftsmanship. This approach decentralizes national historiographies by proposing a narrative of exchanges rather than oppositions, and continuities rather than distinctions. The double-shell brick dome technique in Iran and Italy exemplifies this method: its distinctiveness makes it traceable across distant monuments, offering a model for a global history of architecture where local differences coexist with a shared progression in building technology.
Upon completion of the two-year outgoing phase, the systematic collection of data required to document the double-shell brick dome technique in Iran has been successfully accomplished. This outcome is without precedent and provides compelling evidence that architectural research of the highest international standard can be effectively undertaken within the Iranian context.
Upon completion of the two-year outgoing phase, the systematic collection of data required to document the double-shell brick dome technique in Iran has been successfully accomplished. This outcome is without precedent and provides compelling evidence that architectural research of the highest international standard can be effectively undertaken within the Iranian context.