Volume 3, Issue 9 (2-2026)
JORS 2026, 3(9): 8-23 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
mokhles F, jafari S. Multidimensional Core: A Driver of Urban Sustainability Assessing the Transformation of Qom’s City Center in Consolidating Urban Identity and Function. JORS 2026; 3 (9) : 2
URL: http://jors-sj.com/article-1-89-en.html
URL: http://jors-sj.com/article-1-89-en.html
1- Nazar Research Center
2- University of Tehran
2- University of Tehran
Abstract: (1146 Views)
Adopting a framework grounded in the theory of spatial organization of Iranian cities, this study offers a historical–interpretive analysis of the conceptual and functional transformations of Qom’s city center. The central question addresses the systematic disintegration of the spatial structure of the city core, which has transformed it from an organic, historically unified nucleus into a fragmented and dualized configuration in the contemporary period. Historically, Qom’s city center—through its cohesive linkage between the sacred force of the Shrine and the socio‑economic vitality of the bazaar—produced a radial, multifunctional structure that intertwined religious, commercial, and social uses, thereby defining the city’s spatial identity.
The study argues that this systemic cohesion was disrupted in two critical stages. The first rupture emerged during the Pahlavi era with modernist interventions and the imposition of a cutting‑through street network, which broke apart the cohesive urban fabric. The second stage, following the Islamic Revolution, saw the dominance of a pilgrimage-oriented development discourse, institutionalized in urban planning documents, which further intensified the fragmentation. By privileging supra‑national and pilgrimage scales, this approach severed the functional and spatial link between the historical core and the everyday life of residents, diminishing both local and citywide scales.
The research’s novelty lies in its systemic analysis of these transformations through examination of documents and maps across six historical periods, moving beyond the single‑dimension analyses of prior studies. Findings reveal that this process has generated outcomes such as “spatial–perceptual rupture,” erosion of urban identity, and the emergence of a “dual city,” where the center increasingly functions as a place for the pilgrim while the surrounding areas remain the living domain of the citizen. Ultimately, the paper concludes that the decline of Qom’s city center constitutes a crisis in both its spatial organization and its identity legitimacy, underscoring the necessity of redefining the “center” as an interactive, shared space for both pilgrims and residents.
The study argues that this systemic cohesion was disrupted in two critical stages. The first rupture emerged during the Pahlavi era with modernist interventions and the imposition of a cutting‑through street network, which broke apart the cohesive urban fabric. The second stage, following the Islamic Revolution, saw the dominance of a pilgrimage-oriented development discourse, institutionalized in urban planning documents, which further intensified the fragmentation. By privileging supra‑national and pilgrimage scales, this approach severed the functional and spatial link between the historical core and the everyday life of residents, diminishing both local and citywide scales.
The research’s novelty lies in its systemic analysis of these transformations through examination of documents and maps across six historical periods, moving beyond the single‑dimension analyses of prior studies. Findings reveal that this process has generated outcomes such as “spatial–perceptual rupture,” erosion of urban identity, and the emergence of a “dual city,” where the center increasingly functions as a place for the pilgrim while the surrounding areas remain the living domain of the citizen. Ultimately, the paper concludes that the decline of Qom’s city center constitutes a crisis in both its spatial organization and its identity legitimacy, underscoring the necessity of redefining the “center” as an interactive, shared space for both pilgrims and residents.
Article number: 2
Editorial: Original Research Article |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/12/21 | Accepted: 2026/01/30 | Published: 2026/02/20
Received: 2025/12/21 | Accepted: 2026/01/30 | Published: 2026/02/20
References
1. Abarghooee Fard, H., & Mansouri, S. A. (2021). Rereading the constituent components of the spatial organization of the post-Islamic Iranian city in travelogues from the 9th to 14th centuries AH. Manzar, 13(55), 20-29. [DOI:10.22034/manzar.2021.240065.2070 [In Persian]]
2. Abrahamian, E. (1982). Iran between two revolutions. Princeton University Press. [DOI:10.1515/9781400844098]
3. Al-Hathloul, S. (2017). Planning in the Holy City of Makkah: Lessons from uncontrolled urban expansion. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, 143(3), 04017009. [DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)UP.1943-5444.0000383]
4. Amanat, A. (1997). Pivot of the Universe: Nasir al-Din Shah and the Iranian Monarchy, 1831-1896. University of California Press.
5. Arabzadeh, A. (2004). Historical geography of Qom County. Zaeer Publications. [In Persian]
6. Astan-e Muqaddas-e Hazrat-e Masumeh. (2021). Eastern expansion plan of the Holy Shrine of Fatima Masumeh. [In Persian]
7. Azizi, M. M., & Yazdani, H. (2020). Urban conservation and regeneration challenges in historic religious cities of Iran. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, 10(3), 321-338. [DOI:10.1108/JCHMSD-01-2019-0011]
8. Badashti, A. (2005). History of Qom. Ayatollah Marashi Library Publications. [In Persian]
9. Banani, A. (1961). The Modernization of Iran, 1921-1941. Stanford University Press.
10. Burgess, E. W. (1925). The growth of the city. In R. E. Park, E. W. Burgess, & R. D. McKenzie (Eds.), The city (pp. 47-62). University of Chicago Press.
11. Faghihi, A. A. (1999). Religious history of Qom. Zaeer Publications of the Holy Shrine of Qom. [In Persian]
12. Floor, W. (2003). Agriculture in Qajar Iran. Mage Publishers.
13. Gaube, H. (1979). Iranian cities. New York University Press.
14. Harvey, D. (1989). The condition of postmodernity. Blackwell.
15. Harvey, D. (1989). The Condition of Postmodernity: An Enquiry into the Origins of Cultural Change. Oxford: Blackwell.
16. Healey, P. (2010). Making better places: The planning project in the twenty-first century. Palgrave Macmillan.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-01379-8_1 [DOI:10.1007/978-1-137-02533-2]
17. Hekmat, A. A. (1971). History of Iranian cities. University of Tehran Press. [In Persian]
18. Hiscock, M., & Cohen, D. B. (2018). Visual imagery and dream recall. Journal of Research in Personality, 7(2), 179-188. [DOI:10.1016/0092-6566(73)90051-2]
19. Hooglund, E. (1982). Land and Revolution in Iran, 1960-1980. University of Texas Press. [DOI:10.7560/746336]
20. Ibn Battuta. (1995). Rihla Ibn Battuta [The journey of Ibn Battuta]. Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyah. [In Arabic]
21. Jacobs, J. (1961). The death and life of great American cities. Random House.
22. Jafarian, R. (2009). History of Shi'ism in Iran. Elm Publications. [In Persian]
23. Jafarian, R. (2011). The Safavids in the spheres of religion, culture, and politics. Research Institute of Hawzah and University. [In Persian]
24. Keddie, N. R. (1981). Roots of revolution: An interpretive history of modern Iran. Yale University Press.
25. Kermani, A. (1975). History of Iran. Amirkabir Publications. [In Persian]
26. Koochakzadeh, M. (2001). The conquest of Qom. Eslami Publications. [In Persian]
27. Kostof, S. (1991). The City Shaped: Urban Patterns and Meanings Through History. Thames and Hudson.
28. Krugman, P. (1991). Geography and trade. MIT Press.
29. Lynch, K. (1960). The image of the city. MIT Press.
30. Madanipour, A. (2006). Urban planning and development in Tehran. Cities, 23(6), 433-448. [DOI:10.1016/j.cities.2006.04.002]
31. Madanipour, A. (2014). Urban design, space and society. Palgrave Macmillan.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-02368-1 [DOI:10.1057/9781137007502]
32. Madelung, W. (1998). "Religious Endowments and the Shii Hierarchy in Qajar Iran." In Religion and Politics in Qajar Iran, edited by Nikki R. Keddie, I.B. Tauris.
33. Mansouri, S. A. (2007). Two periods of spatial organization in the Iranian city: Before and after Islam (Case study: Transformations of Kerman city). Bagh-e Nazar, 4(7), 50-60. [In Persian]
34. Mansouri, S. A., & Dizani, E. (2016). The evolution of the spatial organization of Qazvin city from the beginning to the contemporary era. Nazar Research Center for Art, Architecture and Urbanism. [In Persian]
35. Ministry of Roads and Urban Development of Iran. (2005). Qom structural-strategic urban plan. [In Persian]
36. Ministry of Roads and Urban Development of Iran. (2017). Comprehensive urban plan of Qom. Supreme Council of Urban Planning and Architecture of Iran. [In Persian]
37. Modarressi Tabataba'i, H. (1956). Torbat-e Pakan [The soil of the pure]. Mehr Press. [In Persian]
38. Mokhles, F. (2017). The multi-nuclear structure of Moroccan medinas. Art and Civilization of the Orient, 5(16), 15-22. [In Persian]
39. Mustawfi, H. (1953). Nuzhat al-Qulub [The joy of hearts]. Donya Publications. [In Persian]
40. Nasr, S. V. R. (2011). The Shia revival: How conflicts within Islam will shape the future. W. W. Norton & Company.
41. National Archives of Iran. (n.d.). Documents of the Pahlavi Ministry of Interior, 1936-1979. [In Persian]
42. Parizadi, T., Zarei, F., & Moradi, M. (2017). Evaluating the drivers of urban development in historical structures (Case study: Historical fabric of Qom city). Urban Structure and Function Studies, 4(15), 7-31. [DOI:10.22080/shahr.2017.1812 [In Persian]]
43. Qom City Council. (2023). Qom urban development report. Qom Municipality. [In Persian]
44. Qom Municipality. (2019). Qom detailed urban plan. [In Persian]
45. Qom Municipality. (2022). Qom comprehensive transportation plan (2017-2022). [In Persian]
46. Qomi, H. b. M. (2006). History of Qom. Grand Library of Ayatollah Al-Uzma Marashi Najafi, Global Treasury of Islamic Manuscripts. [In Persian]
47. Saeednia, A. (1987). The origins of Qom. In M. Y. Kiani (Ed.), Iranian cities (Vol. 2, pp. 143-169). Jahad-e Daneshgahi Press. [In Persian]
48. Salama, A. M. (2016). Spatial design education: New directions for pedagogy in architecture and beyond. Routledge. [DOI:10.4324/9781315610276]
49. Sarlak, S. (2010). The seven-thousand-year culture of Qom: Archaeological excavations of the Qoli Darvish site in Jamkaran, Qom. Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization of Qom Province. [In Persian]
50. Savory, R. (1980). Iran under the Safavids. Cambridge University Press.
51. Singh, R. P. B. (2013). Sacred cities and pilgrimage landscapes. International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage, 1(1), 1-14.
52. Yaqubi, A. (1968). Al-Buldan [The book of countries]. Sana'i Library Publications. [In Persian]
53. Zarrinkoub, A. H. (2006). History of the Iranian people. Amirkabir Publications. [In Persian]
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |