Buddhism Architecture in Northwestern Iran

Architecture is not only a complex including materials and methods to provide a shelter for human beings, but also it is an expression of the society, which created that. Its form will be the reflection of values and religious orientation besides social maturity of the related society and its structure will narrate the nature, power and different dimensions of mythical and psychological aspects of existing fabric. By the thirteenth century, Buddhism had receded into its far-eastern fringes, where it was really little more than memory. In the space of the hundreds of years from the 1220's - 1320's, the Mongols had conquered Iran, introducing new ideas and customs from Central Asia and the Far East. At the Ilkhanid capitals of northwestern Iran (Maraghe and Tabriz), different Mongol rulers adhered to different religions; some followed Mongol shamanist beliefs, others married Nestorian Christian women and had Christian leanings, and still some others converted to Buddhism. Considering the Buddhist background of northwestern Iran during Mongol's era and overlapping the historical contexts proclaiming the kings′ interests into Buddhism sect with spatial composition of Buddhist temples in Central Asia, this paper will categorize the Rasadkhana caves as well as Girkh Kohul caves both in Maraghe as the remains of Buddhism architecture in the Ilkhanid capital of Iran.