Rereading and analyzing the graffiti in Mashhad in 1978 and their role in conveying the messages of the Islamic Revolution with an emphasis on visual documents.

Document Type : Original Article

Author

MA in Islamic History and Civilization, Mashhad Azad University, Independent Researcher

10.30481/psa.2026.252140
Abstract
Graffiti is a means of communication for those who want to share their thoughts with others. During the Islamic Revolution of the Iranian nation, graffiti became an important medium as a method of political and social activism in a short time and, along with other means of mass communication, played a significant role in arousing public opinion against the Pahlavi regime, so that in the second half of 1978, graffiti in various forms and themes formed part of the discourse of struggle. In the meantime, some photographers, with or without paying attention to this category, recorded images of graffiti in cities. The photos that are today referred to as documentary photos can play an important role in understanding and perceiving the messages of the people who took to the streets at that time and shouted these demands and beliefs. In the city of Mashhad, these graffiti can also be seen in a number of images taken by photographers at that time. This article attempts to re-read the graffiti with a documentary approach and in a descriptive-analytical manner, examining the messages and concepts of graffiti during the revolution in the city of Mashhad, and to some extent help understand the intellectual angles and demands of the people and the reasons for their uprising and protest.

Keywords

Subjects


Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 01 September 2026