Manifestation of the Masnavi (Masnavi-ye-Manavi) poems related to miniature paintings from the Safavid period

Problem Definition: The Masnavi, or Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi of Rumi, is one of the best books of ancient Persian mystical literature and Persian wisdom after Islam, whose mystical and literary themes are considered the main themes of the miniature paintings of the Safavid period (907-1135 A.H.). The stories in the Masnavi are a means of expressing Rumi's mystical thoughts. The source of these stories is the Qur'an, hadiths, and narratives that Rumi used and employed the stories of the prophets to induce mystical themes. Since the explanation of the aesthetics of the art of miniature painting was based on mystical teachings, especially the world of imagination or ideas, in line with the stories of the Masnavi, the Safavid painters also used impressions of the mystic poems and thoughts of Rumi and the influence of the Qur'anic verses to depict these religious stories, especially the stories of Prophets. The result of the visual expression of the stories of the prophets using the method of creating a multi-dimensional space of painting is the expression of religious and mystical meanings in these miniature paintings. The main question of the research is, "What visual elements of the Masnavi paintings of the life stories of the prophets of the Safavid period are used to express mystical and philosophical themes?"Objective: The primary purpose of the research is to examine the concepts in Masnavi's poems in ​​miniature paintings from the Safavid period (based on the stories of Rumi's Masnavi).Research Method: This research, using a descriptive and analytical method and collecting data through a library-based (documents) procedure, aims to investigate the relationship between the two subjects of the use of visual elements and space creation method in the miniature paintings of the Safavid era with mystical and religious themes of Masnavi, relying on the stories of the prophets.Results: The findings of the research indicate that due to the close connection of imagination in the painting with mystical themes, the reflection of multi-dimensional spaces, the lack of perspective, and the use of form in the paintings of the Safavid period undoubtedly influenced by the Islamic mystical insight, which gave a special meaning to the miniature painting of the Safavid period, and the peak of perfection and coherence of the multi-dimensional system of Iranian painting along with mystical literature has been manifested in these paintings.