The Role of Ritual Ceremonies in the Formation of Historical Spaces of Ardabil City

The purpose of the current research is to investigate the role of Muharram and Safar ritual ceremony in the formation of the historical spaces of Ardabil city. The research method is descriptive-analytical and the method of data collection is based on library-documentary studies and field studies. The city of Ardabil has long been considered as the cradle of Shiism, and since the Safavid period, it has been considered one of the important centers for the ritual ceremonies of Muharram and Safar. The analyzes carried out indicate that the two components "movement paths" and "turning points" in the ritual ceremonies of Moharram and Safar have influenced the formation of the spatial organization of Ardabil city. The path of movement of mourning processions in a stable manner during different years is consistent with the paths that are in the ossification and main construction of the historical texture of Ardabil city. Also, the path of movement of mourning processions has emerged in connection with the important and identity-giving spaces of the city. The results of these analyzes together show the important role of Muharram and Safar ritual ceremony in the physical-spatial coherence of the historical part of Ardabil city.
Keywords: Ritual Ceremony, Historical Spaces, Movement Paths, Turning Points, Ardabil.
 
 
 
 
 
Extended Abstract
Introduction:
Ritual ceremonies, especially the mourning days of Muharram and Safar in historical cities, are directly related to the city structure, and without paying attention to them, a complete analysis of the spatial organization of the city cannot be obtained, and it seems that these ritual ceremonies impose certain rules and regulations on the spatial organization of historical cities. The rules and principles governing the ritual ceremonies of Muharram and Safar are in a two-way interaction with the construction and urban space, and based on various criteria, it is related to and affects the different dimensions of the city. The city of Ardabil has long been considered as the cradle of Shiism, and since the Safavid period, it has been considered one of the important centers for the ritual ceremonies of Muharram and Safar. The mourning of the people of Ardabil is famous, so every year during Muharram and Safar, many people from all over the country and even neighboring countries travel to Ardabil to participate in this ritual ceremony. The rituals of Muharram and Safar have a close relationship with the historical spaces of this city; In such a way, this ritual has left a significant impact on the structure of the urban spaces of Ardabil. Based on this, the most important goal of the present research is to investigate the role of Muharram and Safar rituals in the formation of the historical spaces of Ardabil city.
Materials & Methods:
The present research method is qualitative and descriptive-analytical. The method of collecting data in this research is based on library-document studies and field studies to answer this question: What changes have the holding of ritual ceremonies, especially the mourning of the months of Muharram and Safar, caused in the historical spaces of Ardabil? To study the theoretical foundations of the research by referring to documents and library studies, concepts and characteristics related to rituals and urban spaces are described and explained, and by using field observations and document analysis based on texts, maps and images, the effects of Muharram and Safar rituals in The formation of the historical spaces of Ardabil city is investigated and analyzed.
Discussion & Result:
The study of the historical texture of Ardabil city, along with the results of field studies and interviews, shows the important role of Muharram and Safar ritual ceremonies in the historical spaces of Ardabil city. The conducted studies show that the physical appearance of ritual ceremonies, especially the mourning ritual of the months of Muharram and Safar in Ardabil city, can be categorized in the form of "movement paths" and "turning points". The route of movement of mourning processions in the city is always clear and determined, and these ritual routes have been in accordance with the spatial organization of the city for many years and had a special place in its structure. The path of movement of the mourning processions was in accordance with the spatial organization in connection with the main spaces and elements of Ardabil city. The noteworthy point is that despite the Pahlavi era street sweeps, the mourning ceremony is still performed based on its previous spatial organization, in such a way that despite these spatial changes in the structure of the old city, the performance of the mourning ceremony on the days of Muharram and Safar is still in accordance with the previous space organization that has been formed over many years. Therefore, it can be said that the route of mourning processions has not changed for many years and has remained the same despite the development and expansion of the city. The second component is the turning points in the Muharram and Safar rituals, which are related to the landmarks and identity points of Ardabil city; Places such as the squares, the centers of the six neighborhoods, the mosques of these neighborhoods, Hazrat Abolfazl (AS) saghakhaneh , and the old entrances and gates of the city such as Ali Qapu are among these turning points, which are also considered among the most important and significant static and dynamic spaces of the city.
Conclusion:
The results obtained from the analyzes show the role of two components "movement paths" and "turning points" in the formation of historical spaces of Ardabil city, which shows the interaction and relationship of this ritual ceremony with the historical spaces of the city, which have been changed or completed over time with the influence of each other, and it indicates that this factor has played an important role in shaping the historical spaces of Ardabil city. In the implementation of Muharram and Safar rituals, the historical texture of Ardabil city, where the six main neighborhoods of the city are located, is of particular importance, so that this texture is the main gathering place for mourners in this ritual ceremony. In relation to the movement paths, it can be said that the movement paths of mourning processions during different years is in accordance with the routes that are in the main structure of the historical texture of Ardabil city and the development and expansion of the city over time is located around it.  Also, the path of movement of mourning processions has emerged in connection with the important and identity-giving spaces of the city, and the main and focal points of the city, such as the Ali Qapu Mosque, Hazrat Abolfazl (AS) saghakhaneh and the historical bazaar of Ardabil city. In such a way, these turning points have strengthened the spatial organization of the historical texture of the city. Finally, by putting together the investigations and analyzes carried out, we can conclude that the historical spaces of Ardabil city are affected by an important factor called Muharram and Safar ritual, so that this ritual ceremony is one of the most important rituals affecting the historical spaces of this city.