Congratulations to Dr. Farshid Emami, Assistant Professor of Art History, for receiving the inaugural 2025 International Journal of Islamic Architecture (IJIA) Book Award for his recently published book Isfahan: Architecture and Urban Experience in Early Modern Iran (Penn State University, 2024)!
IJIA awarded only one Book Award and two honourable mentions, and we are thrilled Dr. Emami took home the top prize!
From IJIA:
“Farshid Emami’s book examines the transformation of Isfahan during a pivotal period in the seventeenth century. By focusing on both architectural development and the lived experiences of the city’s diverse residents, the book presents a richly textured and methodologically sophisticated narrative. Emami’s elegant prose and mastery of visual and textual sources make this work both scholarly and accessible, offering fresh insights into one of the most iconic cities in the Islamic world.”
For those wanting to study under Prof. Emami, he will be leading two courses in the fall: 1) HART 324/524: Persianate Book Arts (all classes take place at MFAH!) and 2) HART 590: Methods of Art History.