Stained Glass or Vitry (Ornamental) Art in Iran and ECO Member Countries

The place of stained glass among ECO member countries is rooted more in local traditions of glassmaking, religious architecture, and light decoration rather than in the classical European sense. 

In Iran, ancient traditions of glassmaking and Orosi (wooden or Sash windows with colored glass) played the main role. In fact, Orosi windows form the most important background for stained glass in Iran. These wooden windows, built without nails using delicate joints, allowed colored light to enter spaces beautifully.

The Safavid and Qajar periods marked the peak of colored glass usage in homes, palaces, and religious buildings. Notable examples include the Borujerdi and Tabatabaei houses in Kashan, Eram Garden Mansion in Shiraz, and Golestan Palace in Tehran. Artistic characteristics of this art in Iran include geometric and arabesque patterns instead of human figures, symbolic use of colors, and intelligent interplay with light to create a sense of serenity and spirituality.

Comparing Iranian and European stained glass, Iranian stained glass is more geometric and abstract, while European stained glass is narrative and figurative. Iranian stained glass combines wood and glass, whereas European stained glass combines lead and glass. The inspiration for Iranian stained glass comes mainly from traditional architecture, whereas European stained glass draws from churches. Finally, Iranian stained glass focuses on light and space, while European stained glass emphasizes storytelling. In Iran, stained glass (Orosi) has a long history and a deep connection with residential and religious architecture, serving an aesthetic and spiritual function, light symbolizes truth.

From the late 20th century onward, European techniques such as Tiffany, fusing, and leaded glass were introduced into Iran.

In Turkey, this art is mostly known as "Ottoman colored glass." Before the Ottoman Era, colored glass was commonly used in Byzantine churches. During the Seljuk period (11th–13th centuries), colored glass was used in religious buildings and madrasas. However, the peak of stained-glass art in Turkey belongs to the Ottoman era, with prominent examples including the Suleymaniye Mosque, Rustem Pasha Mosque, Top Kapi Palace, and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.

In Pakistan and the Indian subcontinent, extensive use of lattice windows (Jali) and simple colored glass for playing with light was common in mosques and palaces. In buildings such as Lahore’s mosques and tombs, small colored glass pieces were sometimes combined with plaster or wood, but European-style-stained glass was not prevalent. With the arrival of Britain in the subcontinent, European stained glass was introduced. Churches with Gothic-style-stained glass windows were built in cities such as Lahore, Karachi, and Peshawar. After Pakistan’s independence, local artists began to adapt this art, combining stained glass with Islamic patterns and inspiration from Mongol and Iranian, Islamic art. In mosques, unlike churches, stained glass is used non-figuratively. Today, it bridges Islamic tradition, modern art, and contemporary architecture.

In Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, stained glass has deep roots in local architectural traditions, cultural beliefs, and historical developments. Although many associate stained glasses with European churches, in Central Asia it has developed distinct forms, functions, and aesthetics. Due to Islamic restrictions on human and animal imagery, stained glass mostly features geometric, arabesque, floral, and calligraphic patterns.

Central Asia, located along the Silk Road, was a meeting point of Iranian, Islamic, Turkish, Chinese, and later Russian cultures. The use of light and colored glass has been important in architecture since antiquity, especially after the spread of Islam. During the Soviet era, stained glass became a form of modern decorative art in public buildings (cultural centers, metros, universities). The stained glass in these countries is influenced by Iran, China, and the Turkish world, and it maintains a close connection with Islamic, Timurid architecture. Its main purposes include controlling intense light and creating visual coolness.

In Azerbaijan, this art, known as Shabaka, is not only a decorative technique but also part of the country’s architectural and cultural heritage. It has been used since the Middle Ages, developed over the centuries, and is preserved today by masters and artists. Geometric patterns on these windows often symbolize the sun, energy, time, and infinity, holding a special place in the region’s artistic culture. The Khan Shaki Palace is one of the best examples of stained glass in Azerbaijan, dating back to the 18th century. Its stained-glass work (Shabaka) is a distinctive feature of the architecture.

In Afghanistan, due to its location on the Silk Road, it has been familiar with glassmaking since ancient times. Archaeological evidence in Balkh, Bamiyan, and Herat shows that colored glassware was produced during the Kushans and Sassanian periods, primarily for decorative and ritual purposes, not architectural stained glass in the European sense. With the arrival of Islam, colored glass began to be used in religious and residential architecture. Unlike European stained glass, Afghan examples are mostly geometric, floral, and abstract. The Timurid period represents one of Afghanistan’s most brilliant artistic eras, where architecture skillfully utilized light and color. Colored glass was combined with tilework, plasterwork, and muqarnas to create spiritual spaces. This period can be considered Afghanistan’s closest experience with Islamic–Eastern stained glass. Although European-style-stained glass has no classical history in Afghanistan, colored glass, lighting, and lattice windows have always been part of Afghan art and architecture.