University of Tehran Press Journal for the History of Science 1735-0573 17 2 2020 02 20 Delegated Protection of Islamic Cities in Medieval ondergraphs: Form and Function of Urban Talismans Delegated Protection of Islamic Cities in Medieval ondergraphs: Form and Function of Urban Talismans 263 291 76219 10.22059/jihs.2020.294934.371532 FA MohammadMehdi Taheri Faculty of Architecture, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia Donya MasoomiKhameneh Faculty of Architecture, Campus of Fine Arts, University of Tehran. Journal Article 2019 12 29 Urban dwellers, as Islamic literati suggest, delegate the task of protecting themselves to others. In this sense, Delegated Protection is to protect the city and its dwellers by any other agents rather than the protected people themselves. Among the various ways of such delegated protection, the less-known category of Urban Talismans was believed to be responsible for protecting the city from animal and pests, natural disasters and climate-related issued (apotropaic talismans), protecting public resources, human management in means of empathy among people and prevention of certain crimes, and the preservation of public buildings. These Talismans, functioning in an urban scope, which therefore can be called “Urban Talismans”, were made in many forms, though usually in stone: two- and three-dimensional sculptures (sometimes carved on the floor or wall and sometimes built as freestanding monuments); minarets; and square buildings with certain properties. Urban dwellers, as Islamic literati suggest, delegate the task of protecting themselves to others. In this sense, Delegated Protection is to protect the city and its dwellers by any other agents rather than the protected people themselves. Among the various ways of such delegated protection, the less-known category of Urban Talismans was believed to be responsible for protecting the city from animal and pests, natural disasters and climate-related issued (apotropaic talismans), protecting public resources, human management in means of empathy among people and prevention of certain crimes, and the preservation of public buildings. These Talismans, functioning in an urban scope, which therefore can be called “Urban Talismans”, were made in many forms, though usually in stone: two- and three-dimensional sculptures (sometimes carved on the floor or wall and sometimes built as freestanding monuments); minarets; and square buildings with certain properties. https://jihs.ut.ac.ir/article_76219_0c9b6fde8e0f6076cf48a7cae6a00184.pdf