	AllExperts > Other Languages
	Search

About Mojtaba Parsa
Expertise
As you may know, Persian culture is one of the most ancient cultures in the world. This enormous volume of antiquity has always been affected by different cultures through the passage of history: National beliefs, language, religion, borders, etc. I can answer you about Persian culture before and after Islam - which is known as a milestone in Iranian history, and also about the various languages spoken by Iranians, and give you translations in today's Iran's official language, Farsi (Persian). Podemos compartir los textos de español y persa y traducirlos para otra cada, también. Mojtaba

Experience
I am an Iranian and have studied general history about Iran. I am absolutely familiar with the culture and language of my own country.

Education/Credentials
My education is strengthened about civil engineering.

You are here: Experts > Cultures > Other Languages > Other Languages >

Other Languages -

Expert: Mojtaba Parsa - 10/28/2009

Question
Dear Mojtaba,

Is the word نقشبند used in Iran today? What does it mean, please?

What intrigues me about this word is that it would seem to mean someone who carries out the action of بستن to produce a نقش. So does بستن also have the meaning of “to paint” or something like that? In my dictonary I can't find a meaning that fits.

Here in Turkey the word has associations with a kind of closed Islamic group (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakshbandi) in the form نقشبندی. Is this order known in Iran at all?

Can نقش mean “pattern” as well as “image”? This is interesting as Shiites, I believe, accept images, where as Sunni Muslims limit themselves to patterns.

All the best, and many thanks,

Simon

Answer
Hi Simon,

نقشبند means painter, drawer, designer. As you correctly discussed, it means one who does the act of بستن onto a نقش. The verb بستن except meaning to close, generally means to form, to shape, to gather. For example بستنی (ice-cream) is something which is formed, which can be shaped in a typical procedure. نقشبند is someone who shapes a shape.

Here, in Iran, the group you talked about is known as فرقه‌ی نقشبندیه. It is not very famous however.

The word نقشبند to mean نقاش or painter is not used today. Only in classical style poems or classical literal pieces you may face some.

And I don't understand what you mean by saying Sunnites limit themselves to patterns while the Shiites accept images. I don't understand it at all. Please give some example.

With Best Regards, Mojtaba Parsa

Add to this Answer Ask a Question