InIranian architecture,banna'i (Persian:بنائی, "builder's technique" inPersian) is an architectural decorative art in which glazed tiles are alternated with plain bricks to create geometric patterns over the surface of a wall or to spell out sacred names or pious phrases.^[1] This technique originated inSyria andIraq in the 8th century, and matured in theSeljuq andTimurid era, as it spread toIran,Anatolia andCentral Asia.

If the brickwork design is in relief then it is referred to ashazarbaf (Persian:هزارباف, compound ofhazar "thousand" andbaf "weavings", referring to the woven appearance of the bricks).^[2]

The earliest surviving example of decorative brick work with colored bricks is found in the city gate ofRaqqa (c. 772). The earliest known example ofhazārbāf is found in theUkhaydir Palace nearBaghdad, built around 762. The technique appeared in Iran and central Asia more than a century later but with more sophisticated designs. The tomb of theSamanid rulerIsmā'īl (inBukhara, Uzbekistan), had walls with protruding and recessed bricks that created a weaving pattern.^[3]

Islamic brickwork grew in sophistication of its techniques over the centuries. In the 11th century, the use of multiple brick sizes, and variation in the depth of the joint between bricks formed shadow that contrasted strongly with the horizontal lines of the brick rows (for example the Arslan Jadhib Mausoleum in theSang-Bast complex^[4][5]). Rows of brick were set deep inside the face of the building and raised above it, to create positive and negative spaces (for example in theDamghan minaret^[6] andPir-e Alamdar tower^[7]). TheChehel Dokhtaran minaret in Isfahan (built 1107-1108) is one of the earliest example of brick work with triangles, squares, octagons, cruciform designs^[4][8] (another example, minaret ofSaveh, has raised brickwork inKufic andNashki script^[4][9]). TheGunbad-i Sorkh monument inAzerbaijan (built in 1147) was made of ten different types of carved bricks in its corner columns.^[4][10]

In the 12th century in Azerbaijan, bricks were combined with glazed tiles. Such bricks were typicallycobalt blue andturquoise colored.^[11]

The earliest example of script set in brick work is seen on a minaret inGhazni about 1100, spelling out the name of the ruler, the Ghaznavid rulerMassud III and his titles. This building pieces ofterra cotta were inserted between the bricks to create the inscription. Later buildings used the shadows of raised bricks and others used different colored bricks to spell out words. This practice eventually led to the covering whole brick buildings in sacred writing spelling out the names ofAllah,Ali andMuhammad.^[12]

Square kufic, the version of the Arabickufic calligraphy consisting of square angles only, is believed to have been an architectural adaptation of this script.^[2] Kufic writing was usually achieved using square bricks.

• Girih

• BRICK – Detailed entry in theEncyclopædia Iranica about bricks, their production, and use in Iranian architecture

• Islamic architectural elements
• Arabic architecture
• Iranian architectural elements
• Seljuk architecture
• Timurid architecture
• Bricks
• Islamic calligraphy
• Ornaments (architecture)

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