1
Assistant Professor of Farsi Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
2
PhD in Islamic architecture, Isfahan university of art, Iran.
Abstract
Candelabrum is a tool for creating lightness which was used widely in Islamic art and architecture. One of the most important usages of candelabrum has been hanging in religious place such as mosque and tombs, especially in their altars. Representation of candelabrum in altars according to importance of it in Islamic architecture increases the knowledge about imagination behind using candelabrum in altars. Since candelabrum has lost its usage due to modern luminosity facilities, representation of its role in altars, explain the relation between altar and candelabrum and also importance of this chandelier as a custom symbol. This paper aims to recognize symbolic meanings of candelabrum with descriptive-analytic method and answers this question: why candelabrum has been represented in altar and using of it in altars was based on which symbolic component? Papers findings according to altars ancient background in ancient Iran temples shows altar was a place for manifestations and signs of light like the place of goddess in altar and custom fire in fire temple. Candelabrum in Islamic altars reminds the customs before Islam and correlation between concept and application in ancient Iran which commix with Islamic philosophy, specially light and caused candelabrum to be a manifestation of divine light and symbolic light in altars, according to Islamic values.