In the realm of cultural and religious discourse, various religions have addressed the ascension of saviors to meet God and witness the wonders of His creation. Through this, they aim to highlight the distinction between good and evil, revealing the right path from the wrong in societies immersed in corruption. According to verses 75 of Surah Al-An’am, 57 of Surah Maryam, and 46 of Surah Al-Qesas, Prophet Ibrahim ascended to the heavens of this world, Prophet Idris to the Divine Heaven, and Prophet Musa to Mount Tur. Other religions, such as Zoroastrianism, also address this topic. The narrative of Zoroaster’s mental ascension and his visit to the Divine Heaven and Hell is reflected in the Gathas. The story of ascension appears in various traditions and narratives throughout history, often featuring different religious elements but strikingly similar themes. Among these narratives is the story of the ascension of the Sassanid priest named Arda Viraf, who, after drinking mead and hemp, journeys to the spiritual realm and writes an account of his journey in his book, “Book of Arda Viraf, “ for the reflection of his society, which was immersed in corruption. It should be noted that different religions, influenced by the social and cultural contexts of their times, have approached this topic in distinct ways. These texts generally share a similar structure: a prophet, savior, or ordinary person experiences a spiritual ascension on a holy night, witnesses the heavens and the vastness of God’s creation, and, after visiting the Divine Heaven, Hell, and, in some cases, the intermediary realm, returns to Earth to enlighten the people of their time. However, the ascension in Islam and the account of Prophet Muhammad’s ascent take on a unique dimension. In this journey, the Prophet ascends to the heavens and the sacred space of the divine throne, both physically and spiritually. In addition to visiting Heaven and Hell, he encounters the wonders of creation and other prophets. In the ascension texts, the inhabitants of Heaven and Hell are depicted in distinct ways. Among them are women, who possess unique characteristics in both realms. In Hell, they endure specific punishments, while in Heaven, they are portrayed with piety and spiritual radiance. However, it is important to recognize that throughout history, human societies have often been governed by patriarchal systems, which have significantly influenced the development and evolution of art. This male-dominated art sees women within conditions shaped by men in society. In other words, religious and devotional art depicting women is not created from a genuine female perspective but from a male viewpoint. In these works, women are portrayed not as free and independent beings but within a patriarchal cultural and social framework. This art indirectly reflects the concepts and structures of a male-dominated society, where the view of women is shaped by both one’s own culture and that of others.
Building upon these points, the present research aims to employ a Cultural Semiotics approach, drawing on Yuri Lotman’s theory of “self and other,” which posits that cultures, whether large or small, interact with one another in the space of self and other, mutually influencing each other. This study will compare the depiction of women in Heaven in two illuminated manuscripts of religious ascension texts: Mir Heydar’s “Meraj Nama” from the Timurid period in the 9th century AH (15th century CE) and Dante’s “Divine Comedy”, illustrated by Gustave Doré in the 13th century AH (19th century CE). These two versions have been selected due to their prominence in depicting women, the cohesion between text and image, and the completeness and accessibility of the illustrations. From the Heaven section of both manuscripts, three illustrations from each—chosen based on semantic proximity and thematic relevance—will be analyzed. The aim of this research is to understand the signs used in the depiction of women in Heaven in the “Meraj Nama” and the “Divine Comedy” and to explore the perspectives and degree of cultural influence between the two. The research question posed is: What cultural and religious status do women occupy in these two versions, and how are they depicted by the artists? A study of the “Meraj Nama” and Dante’s “Divine Comedy” reveals that the representation of women in Heaven, from a religious perspective, shares significant similarities. In the “Meraj Nama,” the ultimate purity and sanctity of women are symbolized by their conversion to Islam, with the first Muslim woman, Sumayyah, depicted as an ideal. Similarly, in the “Divine Comedy,” the holiest woman and central figure of the universe is portrayed as the Virgin Mary. It can be argued that the overall atmosphere in Dante’s “Divine Comedy” is influenced by the spiritual and mystical experience of Prophet Muhammad’s ascension. In sociological semiotics, it is necessary that more than one system be used to transmit and reflect reality, and for this purpose, signs are employed to convey meanings from one culture to another. The essence of these systems is that they aim to expand their meanings and concepts while remaining true to themselves, just as divine religions have each influenced one another, yet retain their own unique semantic spaces. Dante, influenced by the “Meraj Nama,” ascension narrative, created a new concept within his own semantic universe, incorporating elements of Islamic ascension and Christian elements. Women hold a special place in Heaven in both versions. However, it is ultimately the artist who creates these works based on their interpretive style, shaped by their religious culture. In the “Meraj Nama,” the artist, influenced by the political and monarchical atmosphere of the era, uses signs from the society and his own worldview to create the illustrations. Throughout history, various factors have influenced the creation of illuminated manuscripts, including political, cultural, and religious perspectives. However, it is ultimately the artist who integrates these elements, sometimes expressing his own preferences through symbolic signs or explicitly in the artwork. Individual perspectives arise from collective societal views, and if we consider the individual as a culture and society as uncultured, these two influence each other, and there is no clear boundary between them. Rather, each culture strives to preserve its own semantic range among others. Therefore, the way women are portrayed in the two versions under study is influenced by various semiotic factors, which at times present women as culture itself, at other times as uncultured, or even as transcultural entities beyond society. The status and portrayal of women in each era and government significantly shape the depiction or absence of their depiction in the art of a society. Finally, considering the innovation in the topic of this research, the importance of comparative studies in Islamic and Christian art, particularly regarding the representation of women in these areas, becomes apparent. Although the depiction of women in the two religions and cultures differs in clear ways, there are many shared concepts, such as sanctity, purity, beauty, and faith, reflected in these images. Thus, this research leads to a deeper understanding of the cultural and religious influences on the depiction of women in religious art and shows how these works reflect religious and social perceptions of women’s roles in the divine realm and after death. Ultimately, this contributes to a better understanding of how cultures influence each other and how various artistic methods portray women in Heaven.