In the framework of the critical discourse analysis approach, this article examines the narrative of Ashura in the tile painting of Moaven al-Molk Tekyeh. It considers visual language as a form of social action and aims to reveal the ideological underpinnings of the Ashura discourse derived from Abu Mekhnaf's book, which has been naturalized and restructured over time. This approach creates a new context for analyzing the tile painting, allowing the process of changing the structure of the source and target texts to be examined from a new perspective.
The history of analyzing Shiite thought in art shows that the visual reproduction of Shiite elements—combining beliefs, myths, and historical events—has been an effective means of exchanging human thoughts. These effects, especially in the narrative of Ashura, a turning point in the interaction of Shiite culture and thought in Qajar society, have always been considered a form of social action. However, like other social dimensions, the visual reproduction of this narrative, especially in the tile paintings of religious places like Moaven al-Molk Tekyeh, has been naturalized over time due to societal power and ideology, causing changes in its structure.
Since the reproduction of the Ashura narrative from authentic historical books is primarily derived from Abu Mekhnaf's narration, which is the earliest account of Ashura, it will be studied as the source text in this research. The visual reproduction of the Ashura tile painting of Moaven al-Molk Tekyeh, analyzed as the target text, seems to be a mental activity consciously influenced by the societal ideological orientations of the artist. Therefore, the approach of critical discourse analysis, according to Fairclough's perspectives, offers a critical and fresh look at the visual reproduction of the Ashura narrative in the tile painting, considered as a social phenomenon. This approach will reveal the ideological positions of the society on this tile painting and help develop a focused and methodical framework based on three levels: description, interpretation, and explanation.
The purpose of this research is to analyze the factors influencing the structural changes and the process of reproducing the Ashura narrative concerning Abu Mekhnaf's book in the tile painting of Moaven al-Molk Tekyeh, and to identify the effective discourses in altering the narrative's structure. The research questions are: What are the influential factors in changing the structure and the process of reproducing the Ashura narrative in the book of Abu Mekhnaf in the tile painting of Moaven al-Molk Tekyeh? Based on Norman Fairclough's critical discourse theory, what discourses have changed the structure of this narrative?
The descriptive-analytical research method is based on critical content analysis. The information-gathering tools include new forms, observation, and scanning. For the target community, one mosaic of the Ashura story has been selected from a total of twelve mosaics at Zainabieh Takya Maawanul Molk. The findings have been analyzed according to Fairclough's three-level framework. The results indicate that issues such as the emotional approach to the narrative's reproduction, specific political ideologies of the Qajar era, instrumental and material use of the narrative, and the presence of uncritical listeners (artists) have caused structural changes in the narrative. Any change, transformation, lexical and grammatical choice, persistence, and penmanship can be considered ideological, reflecting power relations and cultural and social factors.
The critical discourse of Hazrat Abbas in the form of a tile painting and its pictorial reproduction, illustrating the behavior of Imam Hossein and Hazrat Abbas, shows the negative consequences of colonialism on society. The artist created this narrative by selecting structures and pictorial elements, using symbolism and implied meanings, and referring to Shiite heroes. The frequency of these reproductions and selections in the narrative and symbols indicates changes over time.
The necessity of this research lies in the fact that significant themes like Ashura in Shiite thought can continuously evolve under political and social influences, potentially deviating from the main theme. Acquiring knowledge in this field will increase awareness and understanding of this narrative. Since many researchers and artists strive to reproduce this narrative, attention to its changes is crucial in such an environment.