The Historiography of Iranian Architecture in the Shadow of the Reform Era

Abstract The architectural history of Iran began in the early 1900s with the orientalist approaches prevalent at that time and continued for a long time, with minor changes, under the influence of these approaches. From the mid-1990s, the situation changed slowly, and between 1995 and 2005, also known as the “reform era,” a profound transformation took place in this field. The holding of the first Congress on the History of Architecture and Urban Planning of Iran (1995) was the starting point of this transformation. Then, a series of events, including changes in existing institutions, the establishment of new institutions, the establishment of specialized journals, the holding of related conferences and scientific events, and finally the establishment of the field of Iranian architectural studies, were the milestones that led to the transformation of this field. The article examines the general aspects of this development.