A Comparative Study of the Contrast of Tradition and Modernity in Contemporary Iranian Architecture Turning To the Qajar and Pahlavi Periods

Tradition and modernity with the ideology and philosophy have a different look at the human and the different realms of his life. Undoubting, architecture has been with humans for a long time, it isn’t exception. Section study of Iranian architecture reference to the architecture of the recent hundred years, especially Pahlavi and Qajar architecture showed the change of political, social and cultural conditions in the late Qajar and Pahlavi periods brought about changes in traditional architecture of Iran .The research showed that these changes were made with the arrival of modern western architects and with the agreement of government agents and postgraduate interior modern western architects .Of course, these changes to an intellectual system called modernity were accepted imitate form in Iran, which its infrastructures were based in the West, features of the intellectual system based on carried studies were: humanism (omanism), scientism, rationalism, secularism and etc. In this intellectual system, the reason and empirical science have become their main criteria. Conversely, traditionalists say that reason understands a small part of the world and it is the super hierarchy and is based on the hierarchy of the "absolute reason" of God. This kind set the modernity thought in opposite of the tradition that the thought influenced in the traditional Iranian architecture in the late Qajar era and revealed itself as archeology, military, neoclassic and modern architecture in Iran and swallowed the architectural practices in Iran and is imposed in the form of comparative or eclectic or modern or neoclassic architecture and imitated modernity as exemplified in this research .This research based qualitative and library review and descriptive-analytical and comparative method aimed at "Reaching to the contrast causes of traditional and modern architecture and adapting Qajar and Pahlavi architecture" and with hypothesis” rationalist of modernity era and imitation of western modern architecture is changed the Qajar and Pahlavi architecture. Here, it should be noted that committed architects of this country have attempted to apply the principles of traditional architecture to human dimensions based on ontology, epistemology and anthropology based upon tradition (Prophet Muhammad and the Divine Books), Practically protect and preserve in their works.

Keywords: Tradition, Modernity, Traditional Architecture, Modern Architecture, Qajar, Pahlavi.