What is the Shahnameh?
“The seminal work of Persian literature is the Shahnameh, an epic poem that recounts the history of pre-Islamic Persia or Iranshahr (Greater Iran). The Shahnameh contains 62 stories, told in 990 chapters with 50,000 rhyming couplets. It is divided into three parts—the mythical, heroic, and historical ages. Written in modern Persian, the Shahnameh is a work of poetry, historiography, folklore, and cultural identity and is a continuation of the age-old tradition of storytelling in the Near East.” quote from Library of Congress)
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Who Is Gayumarth?
Gayumarth, the first king celebrated in the Persian epic, the Shahnameh, is shown holding court in the open, naming his young son as successor. Gayumarth taught his people how to make clothing from animal skins, which they are wearing.
Details
- Title: Manuscript painting of Gayumarth from the Shahnameh of Firdawsi
- Creator: unknown
- Date: mid-16th century
- Location: Shiraz, Iran
- Medium: Opaque water-colour,ink, and gold on paper
- Time period: Safavid period
References
A Thousand Years of the Persian Book, The Epic of Shahnameh, Library of Congress, Web access July 5, 2018, https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/thousand-years-of-the-persian-book/epic-of-shahnameh.html
Manuscript painting of Gayumarth from the Shahnameh of Firdawsi, Google Arts & Culture, Web access July 5, 2018, https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/manuscript-painting-of-gayumarth-from-the-shahnameh-of-firdawsi/IgEi5TWuJL0n2g
Read More
Life of Ferdowsi – The British Library http://www.bl.uk › Storyteller’s Corner
This is the story of Ferdowsi’s life. And it is the story that is still told about Ferdowsi today. It is impossible to say whether the story is true or not. But maybe …
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