The Role of Culture in Promoting Architectural Identity

Abstract

The culture of each society is identified through its manifestations such as language, art, and architecture, and analysis in the field of culture is related to the study of cultural manifestations. Architecture as a matter of human life reflects the culture in every society interacting closely with structural, historical, political, economic and social features of society. People in every country try to follow their norms and maintain their values in making of architecture by applying the material things. Changing the cultural and social attitudes in communities has the greatest impact on the architecture. Therefore, the role of culture in promoting architectural identity seems essential. This descriptive article with the assumption that architectural is a complete symbol of human culture tries to study the role of culture in promoting architectural identity based on the documents and library studies. Therefore, after relooking the definitions of culture, identity, architecture and their interaction with each other, some Iranian historic buildings in different periods (as the case studies) were studied. The result is that the culture of each community defines the identity of the community and architecture as a social phenomenon was originated  from the culture and its effects. Art and architecture are of the most important symptoms and characteristics of each nation and every historical period that indicate the environment human’s lives at any time. So, if architectural identity gets described in culture and tradition, the architecture based on today’s not past culture and traditions is the architecture with identity that is and will always be  with us.