The Persian dictionary of Mo'in defines a mi'mar as:
That who devises the design and plan of a building, and overlooks its construction.
A Banna
That who is responsible for the building, developing, and repairs of a structure or edifice (Emārat).
Classical words Banna, Mohandes, Ostad, and Amal which appear in classical manuals and references of Islamic architecture.
Although many scholars do not recognize the Mimar and the Architect to historically be the same, they do agree that their responsibilities overlap extensively. In this list, they are taken to be the same.
The list is in chronological order and selectively spans the Islamic age based on available records. There is little, if any, record of the numerous masters of architecture that built some of the early Islamic and pre-Islamic world's wonders of Iran. It is unknown who built the palaces of Bishapur, Firuzabad, Persepolis, Susa, or the many other spectacular ancient edifices of Greater Iran. No record of their names exists. Only the ruins of what they built give us a faint indication of what masters must have walked the face of this earth eons ago.
Many of the structures remaining today possibly had more than one architect working on them. Only one is mentioned in the following list, and only their most famous work is mentioned. The list also contains the names of builders whom exact dates have been attributed to their buildings.
Muhammad Taqi khan Mimar-Bashi: Built the Darolfonoon in 1849CE.
Abdallah Khan: court architect to Mohammad Shah Qajar.
Haji Abol-hasan Mimar Navai: Built Golestan Palace to its current form in 1865CE.
20th century
Dariush Borbor: Bazaar Reza, Mashhad, Museum and Library, Mashhad. Described as "one of the most innovative architects who is perhaps on the way of creating a Persian architectural style of the 20th century".[1] Recipient of the Gold Mercury International Award from Italy,[2] and 50 Outstanding Architects of the World from the Second Belgrade Triennial of World Architecture.[3]
Yaaghoob Rashtchian: prominent architect active in urban rehabilitation and architectural restoration of historic areas and buildings in many iranian cities
Moein Jalali: An Iranian architect and a distinguished judge in prestigious international architecture awards and "Continental Architectural Awards" Winner
Outside Iran
First Bahaʼi House of Worship (1908), Turkmenistan, designed by Ustad' Ali-Akbar Banna Yazdi
Fariborz Sahba's Lotus Temple in India
Ustad' Ali-Akbar Banna Yazdi: designed the first Bahaʼi House of Worship in the world in Ashgabat[6][7][8]
Hariri and Hariri: Gisue Hariri and Mojgan Hariri are two of the most famous Iranian American architects. They are listed in "40 Top architects under 40".
^Architecture: formes + fonctions. 2010-11-10. Retrieved 2017-06-17.
^"Borbor Consulting Architects Presented with, Tehran Journal, Tehran, December 22, 1976, p. 2.
^Karolina Udovički; Aca Arsenijević; Milan Bosnić; Milan Kopanja; Ivica Mladenović, Drugi beogradski trijenale svetske arhitekture : [50 istaknutih arhitekata sveta] = The Second Belgrade Triennial of World Architecture : [50 outstanding architects of the world] : Beogradski sajam, hala 2, 4-12 juni/June 1988, Savez arhitekata, Beogard, 1988.
^"Kamran Diba". Archived from the original on 2005-07-24. Retrieved 2005-07-18.
^"Coming Soon". www.netiran.com.
^Akiner, Shirin (1991). Kegan, Paul (ed.). Cultural Change and Continuity in Central Asia. Routledge. p. 293.
^"Bahaʼi House of Worship - Ashkabad, Central Asia". The National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahaʼis of the United States. 2007. Archived from the original on 8 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
^Rafati, V.; Sahba, F. (1989). "Bahaʼi temples". Encyclopædia Iranica.
^CalEarth Institute
Further reading
For a full comprehensive list of Iranian architects from antiquity up to the modern age, refer to:
Mimaran-i Iran by Zohreh Bozorg-nia. 2004. ISBN 964-7483-39-2
Persian Gardens and Garden Pavilions by Donald N. Wilber, Elisabeth B. MacDougall. ISBN 0-88402-082-7
The Timurid architecture of Iran and Turan by Lisa Golombek and Donald Wilber, Princeton University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-691-03587-3
Dictionnaire des Architectes, Paris, 1982
H. Stierlin, Iran des Batisseurs, "2500 ans d'Architecture", Geneva, 1971
J. I Cohen, M. Eleb & A. Martinelli, "The 20th century Architecture & Urbanism"
"Iran the Senate House by Heydar Ghiai", Max Gerard, Editions Draeger 1976. ISBN 2-85119-008-3
External links
Society of Iranian Architects and Planners
A persian article about early 19-20th century architects of Tehran[permanent dead link]
A list of contemporary Iranian architects
Memar Award, an award set by Memar magazine for the best Architectural design of the year in Iran
Iranian Architecture Today, A Bridge Between East and West