Journal of Documentary and Archival Studies

Abstract Introduction
During the Islamic Revolution, wall inscriptions rapidly emerged as an important channel for political and social activism. By the second half of 1978, wall inscriptions, taking diverse forms and conveying a range of themes, had become an integral part of the discourse of revolutionary struggle. The primary objective of this study is to examine the various tools used in producing wall inscriptions, the ways in which they were executed in different settings, and the discursive themes reflected in the images, in order to gain insight into the intellectual perspectives of their producers, as well as to investigate the role of wall inscriptions in social networking and the political mobilization of different segments of society during the Islamic Revolution in Mashhad.
Research methodology:
Focusing on images of wall inscriptions in Mashhad collected from reliable archival sources, this study examines the messages of the Islamic Revolution within the urban environment through a qualitative approach and a descriptive-analytical method.
Research findings:
The findings indicate that revolutionaries employed simple and readily available tools to convey their messages. The sites where slogans were inscribed were predominantly the city’s central and heavily trafficked streets, as well as locations where significant events had taken place. The language of the wall inscriptions was clear, accessible, and free from stylistic complexity, addressing broad segments of society. They also played a key role in shaping the discourse of the Revolution and mobilizing public opinion against the Pahlavi regime, contributing significantly to the revolutionary developments during the winter of 1979 and, ultimately, to the victory of the Islamic Revolution.