Naqsh

Naqsh is a Persian word meaning pattern, design, image, or inscription. It is used in Persian, Urdu, and related languages to refer to decorative motifs, engravings, or reliefs. The root conveys a mark made by carving, painting, or stamping, and it often occurs in compound forms such as naqsh-i- meaning “inscription of” or naqshi meaning “decorative” or “inlaid.”

In art and architecture, naqsh denotes decorative designs applied to buildings, monuments, manuscripts, coins, and metalwork. It encompasses relief carving, inlay work, calligraphy, and pictorial or symbolic motifs. The term is used for both the design itself and the act of inscribing or embellishing surfaces.

Notable usages include Naqsh-e Rostam, an archaeological site in Iran featuring rock-relief carvings from the Achaemenid and Sasanian periods, including royal investiture scenes and tomb reliefs. Another prominent example is Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, a 17th-century Safavid-era public square that houses the Shah Mosque, Ali Qapu, and Lotfollah Mosque; it forms a central part of the historic context of Isfahan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In language and culture, naqsh remains a common term in Persian and Urdu for motifs, patterns, or designs and appears in discussions of textiles, ceramics, manuscript illumination, and architectural ornament. It also appears in geographical and scholarly names and in epigraphic and art-historical descriptions, reflecting the long-standing importance of design and inscription in the region’s artistic traditions.

See also:

- Naqsh-e Rostam

- Naqsh-e Jahan Square

- Inlay (arts)

- Epigraphy