Minaret is a specific physical element in Islamic architecture, which has an ancient record in pre-Islamic Iranian architecture. A host of theories concerning the initiation of minaret could be found in contemporary debates of Architecture. In this article, ziggurats, huge buildings in Mesopotamian civilization and one of essential religious constructions of civilization history, are considered as the progenitors of our minarets. As a consequence of the changes in human perceive of religion and also in association with domestic architectural patterns, this architectural element has faced various changes, both in form and function, in different regions and different rituals; eg. Some experts believe that Minaret had been a sort of milestone used as a guiding symbol in ancient routes of pre-Islamic Iran or it could have been the sign of huge traditional sacred fireplaces in that era. On the other hand there could be find some ideas that insist on the religious role of Minaret even in pre-Islamic Iran as the main trait of it, not its function as a milestone. This element has achieved an important roll in Islamic architecture, to the point that along with domes and gates, minarets have been considered as the main landmarks to enhance the legibility of Islamic cities. Kiani believes that the oldest samples of Minaret are the Iranian pre-Islamic milestones such as Firouzabad milestone and Mamasani milestone in southern Iran and some others in central mosques of Damishgh, Syria and Samerah, Iraq. It could be inferred from the various ideas and approaches towards the initiation and role of Minaret in Iranian architecture and that of its adjacent regions, that Minaret as a symbol of function and specific religious concepts and rituals, is rooted in pre-Islamic eras and has achieved its enhanced status merging with the new concept of the new religion, Islam. Hence, two essential questions may rise: 1-What’s the main stem of these emblematic and gigantic structures in ancient Iran or early Islamic Iraq and Syria? 2-What’s the main incentive of Minarets concentration in this region of the world? The present research intends to assess historically, the overall background and evolution process of minaret in architecture and its status in Islamic architecture in order to provide a reliable response to these sorts of questions. To achieve this objective, the general concept of Minaret, the historical background of this architectural element and evolution in form and function of Minarets in Islamic era are assessed as the major fields of survey. As a result, a diagram of the evolution process, from the ancient ziggurats to the most recent urban landmarks, is presented. The evolution trend of minaret position from the out door to the indoor spaces of the mosque and its transformation trend from a marginal element near the mosque to an essential one with key function in symbolic, geometric, constructional and urban aspects are also assessed and analyzed in this article.
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