Bernard O’Kane (b. 1949)

In Varamin: 1972 and 1984
Repository: Alamy

Bernard O’Kane completed his PhD at the University of Edinburgh in 1982 under the supervision of Robert Hillenbrand (fig. 1). His thesis, titled “Timurid Architecture in Khurasan,” presents an early effort in compiling regional histories of Iranian architecture. His additional research interests in Islamic tilework and epigraphy led to the creation of The Monumental Inscriptions of Historic Cairo. Directed by O’Kane, this online database contains 3,271 translated inscriptions from 509 monuments.

Figure 1. Bernard O’Kane composing a photograph with his film camera, around 1980.

During his 1972 trip to Varamin, O’Kane visited the Emamzadeh Hosayn Reza (map) in eastern Varamin. The stucco decoration in the octagonal tomb inspired O’Kane to publish his 1978 article “The Imāmzāda Ḥusain Riḍā at Varāmīn,” in which he highlights the shrine’s importance for extending the dating of this style of stucco decoration while lamenting recent overpainting (fig. 2–3). The shrine also points to continued patronage during Varamin’s lesser-known Timurid period (see Timeline).

Figure 2. Emamzadeh Hosayn Reza, 841/1437, Varamin. Screenshot from O’Kane’s article “The Imāmzāda Ḥusain Riḍā at Varāmīn,” featuring his photographs from 1972.
Figure 3. Color photograph showing what O’Kane described in his article as “an unhappy coating of green on the inscription, light blue below it and white above” (p. 176). Photograph by Bernard O’Kane, 1972.

O’Kane also photographed the Emamzadeh Yahya on two different occasions, in 1972 and 1984. In this case, the stucco inscription thankfully avoided overpainting (figs. 4–5).

Figure 4. South (rear) elevation of the tomb of Emamzadeh Yahya, Varamin. Photograph by Bernard O’Kane, 1972.
Figure 5. Date of 707/1307 in the stucco inscription inside the tomb of Emamzadeh Yahya, Varamin. Photograph by Bernard O’Kane, 1984.

Many of O’Kane’s photographs have been featured in major publications on Islamic architecture (fig. 6–7). Earlier this year, he received the Islamic Republic of Iran’s World Prize for Book of the Year for his book Studies in Persian Architecture, which features over 300 of primarily his own photographs. He previously received the award in 2004 for his book Early Persian Painting: Kalila and Dimna Manuscrips of the Late Fourteenth Century.

Figure 6. Courtyard of the Mosque of al-Hakim, 1012, in Cairo, Egypt (map). Photograph by Bernard O’Kane.
Figure 7. Courtyard of the Shrine of Khajeh ʿAbdollah Ansari, 1428, in Gazur Gah, near Herat, Afghanistan (map). Photograph by Bernard O’Kane.

O’Kane has taught at the American University in Cairo since 1980. He has also held positions as visiting professor at Harvard University and visiting associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Alongside his research and teaching, he also currently serves as advisory board member for Muqarnas and nominator for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture.

Practical resources:

  • Photo collection on Alamy

Sources:

  • O’Kane, Bernard. “The Imāmzāda Ḥusain Riḍā at Varāmīn.” Iran 16 (1978): 175–77. [JSTOR]
  • O’Kane, Bernard. Timurid Architecture in Khurasan. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh, 1982. [WorldCat]
  • O’Kane, Bernard. Early Persian Painting: Kalila and Dimna Manuscripts of the Late Fourteenth Century. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2003. [WorldCat]
  • O’Kane, Bernard. The Appearance of Persian on Islamic Art. New York: Persian Heritage Foundation, 2009. [WorldCat]
  • O’Kane, Bernard. Studies in Persian Architecture. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh Press, 2021. [JSTOR] [WorldCat]

Alisala Nunes BA Art History, University of California, Los Angeles, 2024; Curatorial Assistant, 33 Arches

Citation: Alisala Nunes, “Bernard O’Kane (b. 1949).” Photographers entry in The Emamzadeh Yahya at Varamin: An Online Exhibition of an Iranian Shrine, directed and edited by Keelan Overton. 33 Arches Productions, January 15, 2025. Host: Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online.