The reign of Shah Tahmasb I (930–984 AH / 1524–1576 AD) represents one of the most formative stages in the history of Iranian art. The transfer of the Safavid capital from Tabriz to Qazvin transformed not only the political and cultural landscape of Iran but also the nature of artistic production, giving rise to the Qazvin School of miniature painting.. Artists of the Qazvin School, through an innovative reinterpretation of composition, figural design, and color harmony, moved away from the Timurid and early Safavid traditions to establish a distinctive aesthetic language reflecting the intellectual and spiritual aspirations of the Safavid court. Simultaneously, mural painting developed as an independent yet parallel art form, extending the pictorial logic of manuscript illumination into the three-dimensional field of architecture. Under Shah Tahmasb, art became a unifying system of expression that merged painting, architecture, and ideology into a coherent visual identity. The main purpose of this research is to examine the aesthetic, structural, and conceptual relationship between the principles of miniature illustration in the Qazvin School and the mural paintings of the Safavid royal complex known as Dolatkhaneh-ye Qazvin (Royal Palace of Qazvin). The study seeks to clarify how the visual language of Safavid wall painting functioned not only as a decorative component but also as a sophisticated medium for articulating ideological messages, constructing visual narratives, and reinforcing the symbolic order embedded within the architectural environment. It further aims to investigate how artists translated the intimate, meticulously detailed aesthetics of manuscript illumination into the expansive and publicly visible format of mural decoration, and how this translation shaped the viewer’s perception of political authority and spiritual legitimacy. The central research questions are: how miniature aesthetics were adapted, expanded, or transformed when applied to large-scale architectural surfaces; what specific correspondences and divergences can be identified between the compositional, chromatic, and iconographic systems of the Qazvin School and those of the palace murals; and in what ways these visual strategies contributed to the representation of royal ideology, ceremonial culture, and the broader aesthetic identity of the Safavid court Methods The research follows a descriptive–analytical and comparative methodology. Data collection relied on both library and field research, including the direct observation and photographic documentation of existing mural fragments, comparative study of illuminated manuscripts attributed to the Qazvin School, and examination of historical sources such as court chronicles, treatises on Safavid art, and travelers’ accounts. Analytical criteria focused on composition, spatial organization, chromatic relationships, iconography, and narrative rhythm. This multilayered approach allowed a structural comparison between manuscript painting and architectural mural, clarifying how visual principles were transferred from the page to the wall and adapted to architectural rhythm, proportion, and lighting conditions. Furthermore, cross-media analysis was used to trace stylistic continuities, identify micro-level aesthetic variations, and assess how visual forms were reinterpreted when scaled up from intimate manuscript surfaces to monumental architectural settings. The findings demonstrate that Safavid mural painting was not a decorative adjunct to architecture but a sophisticated medium of symbolic and narrative communication. In the Dolatkhaneh complex, murals were strategically positioned within palatial interiors to project spiritual devotion, and aesthetic refinement. Their symmetrical compositions, luminous palette, and fluid narrative rhythm reveal the continuation of Qazvin miniature aesthetics on a monumental scale. Yet the translation of pictorial logic from manuscript to architecture required transformation: the intimacy and precision of the miniature gave way to spatial grandeur suited to public and ceremonial environments. By enlarging figures, heightening color contrasts, and aligning pictorial composition with the rhythm of arches, vaults, and domes, mural painters achieved harmony between image and structure. The results further indicate that Qazvin murals served as a visual bridge between manuscript and monumental art. They reinterpreted the refined stylistic codes of miniature painting into an architectural syntax that united illusionistic depth with spatial experience. Iconographic analysis reveals recurring motifs banquets, hunting scenes, and paradisiacal gardens that embody the Safavid conception of kingship as a reflection of divine order. Under Shah Tahmasb’s patronage, the integration of art and architecture produced a coherent iconography of piety and sovereignty, transforming the palace into both a political and theological statement. As the king later withdrew from direct artistic practice and turned toward religious contemplation, his painters redirected their creative energy toward architectural decoration, synthesizing spiritual symbolism with courtly magnificence. Mural painting thus became a form of visual theology that united beauty with belief and expressed the Safavid vision of cosmic harmony. In a broader sense, the Qazvin murals embody the Safavid pursuit of unity between form and meaning. Their stylistic balance combining narrative subtlety with spatial majesty demonstrates the transformation of miniature art’s introspective delicacy into the expressive grandeur of architectural space. Ultimately, Safavid mural painting in the Royal Palace of Qazvin represents the culmination of a dialogue between image and architecture, between artistic innovation and ideological