DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26747#0475
Chap. III.
PERSIA.
411
is true, to Persia, but wliicb, from the character of tbe traffic in mer-
cbandise, and tbe general insecurity of the roads along wbich it is
conducted, have received a great deveiopment in tbat country. Inter-
nally, their usual form is tbat of a square court-yard, surrounded by a
range of arcades generally two stories in beigbt, eacli arcb opening
into a small square cell at the back. Externally tbey present only a
bigb plain wall, surmounted by battlements and flanked by towers at
eacb angle, and sometimes also by additionai towers in tbe longer
faces. Tbe principal architectural ornament is lavisbed on tbe gate-
ways, wliicb are almost always liigber tban tbe contiguous walls, and
often display great beauty of design combined witb considerable elabo-
ration of detail.
It is not, bowever, only in tbese larger monuments tbat tbe Per-
sians sbow an appreciation of tbe beautiful and a power of expressing
it. As in most Eastern nations, tbe feeling seems innate, and all tbe
minor objects sbow it as well as tbe more important ones. They are
now too deeply depressed to attempt mucb; but it only seems to
require a gleam of returning sunsbine to enable tbem again to rival in
art tbe ancient glories of Nineveh and Persepolis, provided tbey can
avoid tbe snare of copying, whicb bas been fatal to tbe art of most
modern nations.
PERSIA.
411
is true, to Persia, but wliicb, from the character of tbe traffic in mer-
cbandise, and tbe general insecurity of the roads along wbich it is
conducted, have received a great deveiopment in tbat country. Inter-
nally, their usual form is tbat of a square court-yard, surrounded by a
range of arcades generally two stories in beigbt, eacli arcb opening
into a small square cell at the back. Externally tbey present only a
bigb plain wall, surmounted by battlements and flanked by towers at
eacb angle, and sometimes also by additionai towers in tbe longer
faces. Tbe principal architectural ornament is lavisbed on tbe gate-
ways, wliicb are almost always liigber tban tbe contiguous walls, and
often display great beauty of design combined witb considerable elabo-
ration of detail.
It is not, bowever, only in tbese larger monuments tbat tbe Per-
sians sbow an appreciation of tbe beautiful and a power of expressing
it. As in most Eastern nations, tbe feeling seems innate, and all tbe
minor objects sbow it as well as tbe more important ones. They are
now too deeply depressed to attempt mucb; but it only seems to
require a gleam of returning sunsbine to enable tbem again to rival in
art tbe ancient glories of Nineveh and Persepolis, provided tbey can
avoid tbe snare of copying, whicb bas been fatal to tbe art of most
modern nations.