Mansoureh Rajabitanha

Mansoureh Rajabitanha

PhD Candidate

School of Architecture and Civil Engineering

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Dr Mansoureh Rajabitanha is an art historian whose research explores Islamic and Persian art and architecture, with a particular focus on the visual and cultural history of the early modern period. She completed her PhD at the University of Adelaide with a thesis titled Woven Pleasure: A New Perspective on the History of Persian Carpets during the Ṣafavīd Period (1501–1722 CE).
 
Her work investigates the intersections between textile, landscape, and architectural design to develop new perspectives on the decorative arts and their broader cultural meanings. Mansoureh’s current research expands this inquiry to explore cross-cultural artistic exchanges between Persia, South Asia, and the wider Islamic world, and how these connections inform global art histories.
 
At the University of Adelaide, she teaches History and Theory, Designing Research, Research Methods, and Islamic Art of West and South Asia. She is passionate about fostering interdisciplinary dialogue between art history, material culture, and architecture, and about connecting historical research with contemporary design thinking.

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2013 Rajabitanha, M., & Ahmad, I. (2013). Towards a Cross-Cultural design by Integrating Batik Motifs into the Persian Carpet Design. International Journal of the Malay World and Civilisation, 111-123.
    2006 Rajabitanha, M. (2006). Iranian Pictorial Carpet Production: A Survey of Its History and Evaluation. Herfe Honarmand.

  • Book Chapters
    Year Citation
    2026 Rajabitanha, M., & Bartsch, K. (2026). The Arabesque Patterns through the Lens of Historical Persian Texts.. In A. Ismail Kahera, & E. Filiz Kölmek (Eds.), Aesthetics of Monotheism: Islam & the Hermeneutics of Art and Architecture.
    2025 Rashid, M. M., Bartsch, K., Alic, D., Faleh, M., Gusheh, M., & Rajabitanha, M. (2025). Building Faith in Walter Burley Griffin’s National Capital. In Muslims in Contemporary Australia (pp. 132-168). BRILL.
    DOI
    2013 Rajabitanha, M., & Ahmad, I. (2013). The History and a Short Report of Pictorial Rug Production in Iran. In T. Sooi Bing (Ed.), The Convergence of the Performing and Creative Arts: Remaining Methodologies and Traditions (pp. 154-163). Penang: USM Press.

  • Conference Papers
    Year Citation
    2012 Rajabitanha, M., & Ahmad, I. (2012). Re-thinking Oriental rug: Integrating Batik Motifs into Persian Carpet. In Proceedings from iCAST 2012. Penang, Malaysia.
    2011 Rajabitanha, M., & Ahmad, I. (2011). The History and a Short Report of Pictorial Rug Production in Iran. In PACIA 2011. Unuversiti Sains Malaysia, Penang.

  • Conference Items
    Year Citation
    2024 Rajabitanha, M. (2024). Woven Pleasure: Continuity and Change in Persian Carpet Making.. Poster session presented at the meeting of 2024 an4aa Postgraduate Symposium Asian Art Research Now.
    2017 Rajabitanha, M. (2017). New Face of Isfahan: The Comparison between the design of Yakob Carpet and the interior decoration of New Julfa Churches. Poster session presented at the meeting of SAHANZ 2nd PhD Symposium.

  • Theses
    Year Citation
    2020 Rajabitanha, M. (2020). Woven Pleasure: Continuity and Change in Persian Carpet Making During The Ṣafavīd Period. (PhD Thesis, The University of Adelaide).
    2014 Rajabitanha, M. (2014). Re-Thinking Oriental Rug: Design Application of Pekalongan Batik Motifs into the Structure of Persian Carpet. (Master's Thesis).
  • 2015-2019 ASI Adelaide Scholarships Internationals, University of Adelaide
  • 2011-2013 USM Research fellowship, Universiti Sains Malaysia
  • Islamic Art of West and South Asia, Adelaide Central School of Art, 2023 - present.
  • Construction Research Methods (M.ConM), University of Adelaide, 2025.
  • History, Theory II (B.Arch), University of Adelaide, 2021 - present.
  • Designing Research (M.Arch/M.Larch), University of Adelaide, 2020 - present.
  • Fundamental Graphic Computer - Adobe Photoshop (M.A), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2013.
  • Sculpture (B.A), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 2011.
  • Adobe Photoshop (carpet designing by computer), Iran Carpet Museum, Tehran, Iran, 2007.
  • Persian Traditional Designing (B.A), Faculty of Architecture& Art, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran, Sep 2006- Jan 2007.
  • Persian Illumination and Painting (B.A), Faculty of Architecture& Art, Kashan University, Kashan, Iran, Sep 2006- Jan 2007.

  • Consulting/Advisories
    Date Institution Department Organisation Type Country
    2024 - ongoing Art Gallery of South Australia Asian Art Cultural or historical Australia

  • Presentation
    Date Topic Presented at Institution Country
    2025 - ongoing Weaving words and images: Persian poetry and visual culture Art Gallery of South Australia The Asian Arts Society of Australia (TAASA) Australia
    2025 - ongoing Mansoureh Rajabitanha discusses the poetry of Rumi with Asian Art Curator Russell Kelty Art Gallery of South Australia Art Gallery of South Australia Australia
    2022 - ongoing Persian Carpets of the Ṣafavīd period - Oriental Rug Society of NSW Australia

  • Review, Assessment, Editorial and Advice
    Date Title Type Institution Country
    2022 - ongoing Identification and Categorization of Jols’ Designs and Patterns in the Sassanid Period Peer Review Acta Via Serica Korea, Republic of
    2018 - ongoing The Sultan’s Carpet: An Investigation of an Ottoman Cairene Textile in the Collection of the Nickle Galleries Peer Review Material Culture Review Canada
  • Position: PhD Candidate
  • Phone: 83134849
  • Email: mansoureh.rajabitanha@adelaide.edu.au
  • Fax: 83134377
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Horace Lamb, floor 3
  • Org Unit: Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Connect With Me
External Profiles