Mahroo Moosavi

Mahroo Moosavi, Ph.D., is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz (Max Planck Institute), participating in the 4A_Lab: Art Histories, Archaeologies, Anthropologies, Aesthetics program. Her work bridges art history and literary analysis to explore the representation of gardens in Safavid-era Iran (1501–1722), focusing on the interplay between textual and architectural cultures in Isfahan.

• Current Affiliation: Research Fellow in 4A_Lab, Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz – Max Planck Institute
• Previous Positions: Postdoctoral Fellow and Visiting Lecturer at the University of Oxford (2021–2023)

Mahroo specializes in early modern Persian art and literature, particularly the Safavid period. Her research investigates the symbolic materiality of gardens in religious architecture, such as the Shaykh Lutfullah Mosque (Isfahan, 1602–1619), and its connection to shifts in poetic themes from metaphysical harmony to material transience.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Bahari Fellowship in Persian Arts of the Book, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford
  • Nizami Ganjavi Centre Fellowship, University of Oxford
  • Oliver Smithies Lectureship, Balliol College, University of Oxford

Her work is supported by grants from the British Academy, British Institute of Persian Studies, and Warburg Institute, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to Persianate world studies and transcultural art history.