Sharif Library Wallpapers 2022

This project showcases four wallpapers that I designed for the Sharif University Library walls, inspired by the works of some old Iranian scientists and poets. The first three wallpapers are based on the manuscripts of Kitāb suwar al-kawākib (“The Book of Fixed Stars”) by Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, a famous Iranian astronomer from the 3rd and 4th centuries AH, and Ajāʾib al-makhlūqāt wa-gharāʾib al-mawjūdāt (“The Wonders of Creation and the Oddities of Existence”) by Zakariya al-Qazwini, another renowned Iranian astronomer from the 7th century AH. The manuscripts are from different centuries and are preserved in various libraries and museums around the world, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Library of Congress. The wallpapers depict the illustrations and writings of these manuscripts, highlighting the scientific and artistic achievements of the Iranian civilization.

The fourth wallpaper is based on a lithographed edition of Shahname (“The Book of Kings”) by Ferdowsi, the epic poet of Iran from the 10th and 11th centuries AD. The edition was printed in Bombay and has a beautiful calligraphy by Emad al-Ketab. The wallpaper shows some scenes and characters from the Shahnameh, the national epic of Iran that narrates the history and mythology of the ancient Persians. The wallpapers are meant to adorn the walls of the Sharif University Library, where students and faculty can appreciate the rich and diverse heritage of the Iranian culture and literature.