{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.chahartaq","code":"thing-q29828458","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q29828458/","name":"chahartaq","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.4","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.BLT"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"A square building of four arches supporting a dome, a form of Iranian architecture used for Zoroastrian fire temples in the Sasanian period and adopted in Islamic architecture for mosques, mausoleums and pavilions; the name means four arches in Persian, and surviving examples such as the chahartaq at Niasar and Natanz show the form that influenced the domed chamber across the Islamic world.","purpose":"Let an agent explain the chahartaq and its history, relay architectural form, examples and influence from architectural history sources, describe its use in Zoroastrian and Islamic buildings, and distinguish the chahartaq from the iwan, the dome chamber of later mosques and the Roman tetrapylon.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Four arches","Dome on squinches","Fire temple form","Islamic legacy"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What a chahartaq is.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What is a chahartaq, and how does it differ from an iwan, a dome chamber and a tetrapylon?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is the question about the form, a specific site, religion or influence?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"examples","name":"Examples","description":"Examples.","findings":[{"id":"examples-finding","name":"Examples","description":"Examples.","questions":[{"text":"What are the chahartaqs at Niasar, Natanz and other Sasanian sites?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific site?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"architecture","name":"Architecture","description":"Architecture.","layers":[{"id":"form","name":"Form","description":"Form.","findings":[{"id":"form-finding","name":"Form","description":"Form.","questions":[{"text":"How do the four arches, squinches and dome work structurally?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"influence","name":"Influence","description":"Influence.","findings":[{"id":"influence-finding","name":"Influence","description":"Influence.","questions":[{"text":"How did the chahartaq shape Islamic domed chambers and mausoleums?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"religion","name":"Religion","description":"Religion.","layers":[{"id":"zoroastrian","name":"Zoroastrian","description":"Zoroastrian use.","findings":[{"id":"zoroastrian-finding","name":"Zoroastrian","description":"Zoroastrian.","questions":[{"text":"How were chahartaqs used in fire worship, presented respectfully?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits fire temple?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"debates","name":"Debates","description":"Debates.","findings":[{"id":"debates-finding","name":"Debates","description":"Debates.","questions":[{"text":"What do scholars debate about the function of chahartaqs, with positions attributed?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the presentation attributed?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"Context.","layers":[{"id":"heritage","name":"Heritage","description":"Heritage.","findings":[{"id":"heritage-finding","name":"Heritage","description":"Heritage.","questions":[{"text":"How are chahartaq sites conserved and studied?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits Sasanian architecture?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"language","name":"Language","description":"Language.","findings":[{"id":"language-finding","name":"Language","description":"Language.","questions":[{"text":"What does chahartaq mean, and how is it transliterated?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits Persian architecture terminology?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Describe the chahartaq form, its Zoroastrian and Islamic uses and surviving examples from heritage sources.","Report the condition of a chahartaq to its custodians, such as cracks or damage to the dome."],"mustNot":["Climb, mark or alter a historic chahartaq without the custodian's permission.","Disrespect a site that is still sacred to Zoroastrian or Muslim communities.","Assign a building to one religion's heritage while erasing its earlier or later use."],"requiresHuman":["Any conservation, restoration or excavation work.","Holding events or filming at a sacred site."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Fire temples are sacred to a small Zoroastrian community whose heritage is fragile.","Ancient mud-brick and stone domes are easily damaged and cannot be replaced."],"affectedParties":["Zoroastrian communities","Muslim communities","Heritage authorities"]},"owners":{"steward":"The national heritage authority of the country where it stands, with the religious community that uses it.","roles":[],"masterSystems":["National heritage monument registers"]},"relations":[{"target":"Q41176","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"building","type":"related","note":"in registry terms"},{"target":"fire temple","type":"related","note":"in Zoroastrian practice"},{"target":"domed mosque chamber","type":"related","note":"in Iranian Islamic architecture"},{"target":"squinch","type":"related","note":"to carry the dome"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.chahartaq","Wikidata: Q29828458 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q29828458)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["period: Sasanian, 3rd-7th centuries note - and later","Niasar chahartaq: early Sasanian note - Kashan region","transition to dome: squinches note"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Four-arched domed square building","Sasanian fire temples such as Niasar; Islamic domed chambers derived from it","The iwan is a vaulted hall open on one side; later dome chambers are enclosed; the tetrapylon is a Roman gateway","A cubic structure with four open arches and a dome on squinches."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain the form","relay history and examples","describe uses","distinguish related forms"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Confusing with iwan or tetrapylon","Deterioration of unprotected ruins","Disrespectful framing of religious use"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Iranian heritage protection of Sasanian sites"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Housing a sacred fire or marking a sacred space.","Sasanian fire temple chahartaqs","chahartaqs within larger temple complexes","Islamic domed chambers derived from the chahartaq","garden pavilions in the form"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q29828458: chahartaq","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q29828458","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Chahartaq (architecture)","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chahartaq_%28architecture%29","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should fire temple be linked as a separate primary entry?","How should architectural history sources be linked?","How should the registry list surviving examples?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q29828458/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q29828458/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-13T15:18:08Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:51:58+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass"},"score":1.0}}