title: A panorama in 12 folds showing the procession of the Emperor Bahadur Shah to celebrate the feast of the 'Id., 1843

artist: <bdi><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Sir_Thomas_Metcalfe,_4th_Baronet" class="extiw" title="w:en:Sir Thomas Metcalfe, 4th Baronet">Sir Thomas Metcalfe, 4th Baronet</a> </bdi>

date: 1843<div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1843-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>

medium: Ink and colors on paper

current location: Institution:British Library

source: http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/addorimss/a/019addor0005475u00059vd0.html

credit: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/addorimss/a/019addor0005475u00059vd0.html">http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/apac/addorimss/a/019addor0005475u00059vd0.html</a>

description: A panorama in 12 folds showing the procession of the Emperor Bahadur Shah to celebrate the feast of the 'Id., 1843. Bahadur Shah Zafar <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> the elephant, and the heir apparent in the third elephant. <b>Inscribed:</b> The Emperor. Heir Apparent Sons &amp; Relatives.' From 'Reminiscences of Imperial Delhi', an album consisting of 89 folios containing approximately 130 paintings of views of the Mughal and pre-Mughal <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">monuments</u> of Delhi, as well as other contemporary material, with an accompanying manuscript text written by the artist, the Governor-General’s Agent at the imperial court.

title: <div class="fn"> <i>"Mihrab" Plaque</i> </div>

artist: <div class="fn value"> <span lang="en">Anonymous</span> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Iran" class="extiw" title="w:en:Iran">Iran</a>)<span style="display:none">Unknown author</span> </div>

date: between 1276 and 1277 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1276-00-00T00:00:00Z/8,P1319,+1276-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1277-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Middle_Ages" class="extiw" title="w:en:Middle Ages">Middle Ages</a><div style="display: none;">era QS:P2348,Q12554</div>)

medium: fritware with underglaze and luster decoration

dimensions: size cm 47.2 36.2 5

current location: Acquired by Henry Walters

credit: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:Walters_Art_Museum" class="extiw" title="w:en:Walters Art Museum">Walters Art Museum</a>: <a href="https://thewalters.org/" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Nuvola filesystems folder home.svg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Nuvola_filesystems_folder_home.svg/20px-Nuvola_filesystems_folder_home.svg.png" decoding="async" width="20" height="20" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Nuvola_filesystems_folder_home.svg/30px-Nuvola_filesystems_folder_home.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Nuvola_filesystems_folder_home.svg/40px-Nuvola_filesystems_folder_home.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128"></a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://thewalters.org/">Home page</a> <a href="https://art.thewalters.org/detail/29876" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Information icon.svg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/20px-Information_icon.svg.png" decoding="async" width="20" height="20" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/30px-Information_icon.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Information_icon.svg/40px-Information_icon.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="620" data-file-height="620"></a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://art.thewalters.org/detail/29876">Info about artwork</a>

description: A "mihrab" is a niche in a mosque or other Muslim religious building that indicates the direction for prayer toward Mecca. It also recalls the place where the prophet Muhammad stood to lead the early Muslim community in prayer, and symbolizes both the entrance of God's presence into the place of worship and the gateway to heaven. Ceramic plaques in the shape of "mihrabs" are often found in shrines and mausoleums and <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> tombstones and cenotaphs (funerary <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">monuments</u>), where they may have had a commemorative or memorial function. With its combination of molded and painted decoration, this blue and brown lusterware work is typical of ceramic "mihrab" plaques made in medieval Iran. The large inscription in the outer frame begins with the "bismallah" ("In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate") and continues with a Qur'anic verse that refers directly to the recitation and prayer that Muslims perform in front of a "mihrab": "Establish regular prayers at the sun's decline till the darkness of the night, and the morning prayer and reading: for the prayer and reading in the morning carry their testimony" (Sura al-Bani Isra'il: chapter 17, verse 78). One of the final, and shortest, chapters of the Qur'an (Sura al-Ikhlas: chapter 112) is inscribed <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> the white band around the central arch.

title: Antiquities of Samarkand. Mausoleum of the Emir Timur Kuragan (Gur-Emir). Inscription over the Door in the Corridor

artist: Bogaevskii, Nikolai V., 1843-1912

date: between 1868 and 1872 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1850-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P1319,+1868-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1872-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>

medium: ru 1=Эстампы, фотографии fr 1=Images, photographies en 1=Prints, Photographs zh 1=图像, 摄影作品 pt 1=Imagens, Fotografias ar 1=مطبوعات، صور فوتوغرافية es 1=Imágenes, Fotografías

dimensions: en 1=1 photographic print : albumen

current location: ru|1=Библиотека Конгресса fr|1=Bibliothèque du Congrès en|1=Library of Congress zh|1=国会图书馆 pt|1=Biblioteca do Congresso ar|1=مكتبة الكونغرس es|1=Biblioteca del Congreso

source: http://dl.wdl.org/3720.png * Gallery: http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3720/

credit: <p><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://dl.wdl.org/3720.png">http://dl.wdl.org/3720.png</a> </p> <ul><li>Gallery: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3720/">http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3720/</a> </li></ul>

description: This photograph of an arch niche at the Gur-Emir mausoleum in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) is from the archeological part of <em>Turkestan Album</em>. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general (1867-82) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">islamic</u> architectural heritage, including Gur-Emir (Persian for “tomb of the ruler”). Although known primarily as the burial place of Timur (Tamerlane), Gur-Emir was begun by Timur in 1403 to commemorate the death of his beloved grandson Muhammad Sultan at the age of 27. When Timur was buried there in 1405, Gur-Emir became the mausoleum of the Timurids. Shown here is the upper part of a portal arch (<em>peshtak</em>) niche, apparently <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> left side of the north facade. Fragments of ceramic ornamentation are dimly visible <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> either side of the portal, above which is a ceramic band containing a sacred text in elongated cursive Arabo-Persian script bordered with decorative figures. Above the inscription is a faience pattern of intersecting geometric forms including pentagons, triangles, and six-pointed stars. This interconnected complexity can be interpreted as a reflection of cosmic order. The brick vaulting of the arch was originally surfaced with ceramic work. <br>Doors and doorways; <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">islamic</u> architecture; Photographic surveys; Sepulchral <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">monuments</u>; Timur, 1336-1405; Tombs

title: Antiquities of Samarkand. Mausoleum of Tuman-Aka Nuri. Inscription on the Wall of the Tuman Aki Mausoleum

artist: Bogaevskii, Nikolai V., 1843-1912

date: between 1865 and 1872 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1850-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P1319,+1865-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1872-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>

medium: ru 1=Эстампы, фотографии fr 1=Images, photographies en 1=Prints, Photographs zh 1=图像, 摄影作品 pt 1=Imagens, Fotografias ar 1=مطبوعات، صور فوتوغرافية es 1=Imágenes, Fotografías

dimensions: en 1=1 photographic print : albumen

current location: ru|1=Библиотека Конгресса fr|1=Bibliothèque du Congrès en|1=Library of Congress zh|1=国会图书馆 pt|1=Biblioteca do Congresso ar|1=مكتبة الكونغرس es|1=Biblioteca del Congreso

source: http://dl.wdl.org/3739.png * Gallery: http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3739/

credit: <p><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://dl.wdl.org/3739.png">http://dl.wdl.org/3739.png</a> </p> <ul><li>Gallery: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3739/">http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3739/</a> </li></ul>

description: This photograph of a detail <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> the facade of the <em>khanaka</em> (pilgrims’ lodge) attached to the Tuman-Aka memorial mosque in the Shah-i Zindah necropolis in Samarkand is from the archeological part of <em>Turkestan Album</em>. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general, in 1867-82, of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">islamic</u> architecture, such as 14th- and 15th-century <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">monuments</u> from the reign of Tamerlane and his successors. Of particular note is Shah-i Zindah (Persian for “living king”), revered as a memorial to Kusam-ibn-Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. The Tuman-Aka mausoleum and mosque (with attached khanaka) were built in 1405 in homage to the youngest wife of Tamerlane as part of the northern cluster of shrines. The Tuman-Aka ensemble is distinguished by ceramic decoration (including mosaic panels) that display floral, geometric, and inscriptional patterns in colors ranging from deep blue to yellow, violet, and turquoise. The cursive (Thuluth) inscriptions, typically based <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> Koranic <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">texts</u>, also identify the Persian master who created them, Sheikh Muhammed ibn Khadja Bandgir at-Tugra Tabrizi. The inscription shown here is located to the right of the khanaka facade arch. <br>Archaeological sites; Inscriptions; <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">islamic</u> architecture; Photographic surveys; Sepulchral <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">monuments</u>; Shāh-i Zindah; Tombs

title: Antiquities of Samarkand. Mausoleum of Tuman-Aka Nuri. Inscription in the External Niche of the Nuri Mausoleum

artist: Bogaevskii, Nikolai V., 1843-1912

date: between 1865 and 1872 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1850-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P1319,+1865-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1872-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>

medium: ru 1=Эстампы, фотографии fr 1=Images, photographies en 1=Prints, Photographs zh 1=图像, 摄影作品 pt 1=Imagens, Fotografias ar 1=مطبوعات، صور فوتوغرافية es 1=Imágenes, Fotografías

dimensions: en 1=1 photographic print : albumen

current location: ru|1=Библиотека Конгресса fr|1=Bibliothèque du Congrès en|1=Library of Congress zh|1=国会图书馆 pt|1=Biblioteca do Congresso ar|1=مكتبة الكونغرس es|1=Biblioteca del Congreso

source: http://dl.wdl.org/3740.png * Gallery: http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3740/

credit: <p><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://dl.wdl.org/3740.png">http://dl.wdl.org/3740.png</a> </p> <ul><li>Gallery: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3740/">http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3740/</a> </li></ul>

description: This photograph of a facade detail at the Tuman-Aka mausoleum in the Shah-i Zindah necropolis in Samarkand is from the archeological part of <em>Turkestan Album</em>. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general, in 1867-82, of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">islamic</u> architecture, such as 14th- and 15th-century <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">monuments</u> from the reign of Tamerlane and his successors. Of particular note is Shah-i Zindah (Persian for “living king”), revered as a memorial to Kusam-ibn-Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. The Tuman-Aka mausoleum and mosque, built in 1405 as a memorial to the youngest wife of Tamerlane, are adjacent to the <em>chartak</em> in the northern cluster of shrines. The mausoleum is distinguished by vibrant ceramic ornamentation in colors that range from deep blue and black to yellow, violet, and turquoise. Its mosaic panels in particular represent the apogee of architectural ceramic work in this region. The facade fragment shown here contains both geometric and inscriptional patterns. The cursive (Thuluth) inscriptions, typically based <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> Koranic <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">texts</u>, also identify the Persian master who created them, Sheikh Muhammed ibn Khadja Bandgir at-Tugra Tabrizi. <br>Archaeological sites; Inscriptions; <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">islamic</u> architecture; Photographic surveys; Sepulchral <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">monuments</u>; Shāh-i Zindah; Tombs

title: Antiquities of Samarkand. Mosque of Khodzha Akhrar. General View of the Crypt of Saint Khodzha Akhrar and the Mosque

artist: Bogaevskii, Nikolai V., 1843-1912

date: between 1868 and 1872 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1850-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P1319,+1868-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1872-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>

medium: ru 1=Эстампы, фотографии fr 1=Images, photographies en 1=Prints, Photographs zh 1=图像, 摄影作品 pt 1=Imagens, Fotografias ar 1=مطبوعات، صور فوتوغرافية es 1=Imágenes, Fotografías

dimensions: en 1=1 photographic print : albumen

current location: ru|1=Библиотека Конгресса fr|1=Bibliothèque du Congrès en|1=Library of Congress zh|1=国会图书馆 pt|1=Biblioteca do Congresso ar|1=مكتبة الكونغرس es|1=Biblioteca del Congreso

source: http://dl.wdl.org/3743.png * Gallery: http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3743/

credit: <p><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://dl.wdl.org/3743.png">http://dl.wdl.org/3743.png</a> </p> <ul><li>Gallery: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3743/">http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3743/</a> </li></ul>

description: This photograph of the Khodzha Akhrar shrine in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) is from the archeological part of <em>Turkestan Album</em>. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general (1867-82) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">islamic</u> architectural heritage. The shrine contains several structures dedicated to the memory of the renowned 15th-century mystic Khodzha Akhrar (1403-89). The main components are a winter and a summer mosque. The summer mosque, visible in the background, was built of adobe brick. Its <em>iwan</em> (vaulted hall, walled <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> three sides, with one end open) portico, supported by wooden columns <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> marble bases, culminates in a cornice decorated with intricate carving, including a “stalactite” pattern. The ensemble also included a pool and a cemetery for prominent religious leaders. This view of the cemetery shows marble sarcophagi and grave markers with decorative carvings and inscriptions. Although the tombs are in some disarray, the cemetery nonetheless retained its significance as a place of pilgrimage and prayer. The seated figure <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> the right is engaged in reading what would presumably be a devotional text. His long beard and white turban suggest status as a mullah. <br>Cemeteries; Mosques; Photographic surveys; Sepulchral <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">monuments</u>; Tombs

title: Antiquities of Samarkand. Mosque of Khodzha Akhrar. Bottom. Inscription on the Tombstone at the Grave of Khodzha Akhrar

artist: Bogaevskii, Nikolai V., 1843-1912

date: between 1868 and 1872 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1850-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P1319,+1868-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1872-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>

medium: ru 1=Эстампы, фотографии fr 1=Images, photographies en 1=Prints, Photographs zh 1=图像, 摄影作品 pt 1=Imagens, Fotografias ar 1=مطبوعات، صور فوتوغرافية es 1=Imágenes, Fotografías

dimensions: en 1=1 photographic print : albumen

current location: ru|1=Библиотека Конгресса fr|1=Bibliothèque du Congrès en|1=Library of Congress zh|1=国会图书馆 pt|1=Biblioteca do Congresso ar|1=مكتبة الكونغرس es|1=Biblioteca del Congreso

source: http://dl.wdl.org/3748.png * Gallery: http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3748/

credit: <p><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://dl.wdl.org/3748.png">http://dl.wdl.org/3748.png</a> </p> <ul><li>Gallery: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3748/">http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3748/</a> </li></ul>

description: This photograph of the interior of the Khodzha Akhrar shrine in Samarkand (Uzbekistan) is from the archeological part of<em> Turkestan Album</em>. The six-volume photographic survey was produced in 1871-72 under the patronage of General Konstantin P. von Kaufman, the first governor-general (1867-82) of Turkestan, as the Russian Empire’s Central Asian territories were called. The album devotes special attention to Samarkand’s <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">islamic</u> architectural heritage. Seen here is the bottom half of the tombstone at the grave of Khodzha Akhrar (1403-89), a renowned 15th-century mystic, ascetic, and adherent of Sufism who wielded great spiritual influence in Central Asia during the final decades of the Timurid dynasty. He is said to have established mosques not only in Samarkand, but also in Bukhara, Herat, and Kabul. The Khodzha Akhrar ensemble in Samarkand contained several structures, including a winter and a summer mosque, as well as a cemetery. Located inside the mosque, the grave marker is framed by a carved inscription band in elaborate cursive Perso-Arabic script. As with the upper half of the stone, the main part of the surface is recessed and consists of further inscriptions related to the life of the saint. This extraordinary display of carved text is an indication of the importance of the Khodzha Akhrar shrine as a pilgrimage site. <br>Inscriptions; <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">islamic</u> architecture; Mosques; Photographic surveys; Sepulchral <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">monuments</u>; Tombs

title: Colophon of Niẓāmī's "Makhzan al-Asrar" and Title Page of Niẓāmī's "Khusraw va Shirin"

artist: Niẓāmī Ganjavī (1140 or 41-1202 or 3)

date: between 1550 and 1599 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1550-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P1319,+1550-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1599-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>

medium: ru 1=Рукописи fr 1=Manuscrits en 1=Manuscripts zh 1=手稿 pt 1=Manuscritos ar 1=مخطوطات es 1=Manuscritos

dimensions: en 1=22.3 x 34.4 centimeters

current location: ru|1=Библиотека Конгресса fr|1=Bibliothèque du Congrès en|1=Library of Congress zh|1=国会图书馆 pt|1=Biblioteca do Congresso ar|1=مكتبة الكونغرس es|1=Biblioteca del Congreso

source: http://dl.wdl.org/6816/service/6816.pdf * Gallery: http://www.wdl.org/en/item/6816/

credit: <p><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://dl.wdl.org/6816/service/6816.pdf">http://dl.wdl.org/6816/service/6816.pdf</a> </p> <ul><li>Gallery: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.wdl.org/en/item/6816/">http://www.wdl.org/en/item/6816/</a> </li></ul>

description: This folio contains the illuminated title page of the second book of Niẓāmī's <em>Khamsah</em> (Quintet), entitled <em>Khusraw va Shirin</em>, and the colophon of the preceding work, <em>Makhzan al-Asrar</em> (The treasury of secrets). Written during the last few decades of the 12th century, the <em>Khamsah</em> consists of five books written in rhyming distichs. Along with Firdawsī's <em>Shahnamah</em> (Book of kings), the <em>Khamsah</em> stands out as one of the great <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">monuments</u> of medieval Persian poetry. It is about the love relationship of the last great Sasanian ruler, Khusraw Parvīz (590–628), and his beautiful mistress, Shirin, and many of the episodes in the story revolve around the complications caused by the king's ruses and the strength and faithfulness of his mistress. The illuminated title page shown here includes the book's heading, written in white ink. The title appears <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> a gold background decorated with red and blue flowers. All around the title panel and the written surface appear bands of illuminated decoration <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> either a gold or blue background. <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> the back of this folio appear the last lines of the <em>Makhzan al-Asrar</em>, a didactic-philosophical work. The final lines of the <em>Makhzan al-Asrar</em> are executed in a carpet-page format, i.e., in alternating horizontal and diagonal lines with illuminated decoration in the remnant triangular or rectangular spaces. At the very bottom of the folio appears the colophon of the work, which states that the book was finished thanks to the grace of God, but which gives neither the date of the book's completion nor the name of the calligrapher. The illumination, text layout, and Nasta'liq script are typical of manuscripts made in the city of Shiraz during the second half of the 16th century. <br>Epic poetry; Illuminations; <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">islamic</u> calligraphy; <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">islamic</u> manuscripts; Khosrow II, King of Persia, died 628; Love stories; Persian literature; Poetry

title: Beginning of Niẓāmī's "Khusraw va Shirin"

artist: Niẓāmī Ganjavī (1140 or 41-1202 or 3)

date: between 1550 and 1599 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P571,+1550-00-00T00:00:00Z/7,P1319,+1550-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1326,+1599-00-00T00:00:00Z/9</div>

medium: ru 1=Рукописи fr 1=Manuscrits en 1=Manuscripts zh 1=手稿 pt 1=Manuscritos ar 1=مخطوطات es 1=Manuscritos

dimensions: en 1=22.3 x 34.4 centimeters

current location: ru|1=Библиотека Конгресса fr|1=Bibliothèque du Congrès en|1=Library of Congress zh|1=国会图书馆 pt|1=Biblioteca do Congresso ar|1=مكتبة الكونغرس es|1=Biblioteca del Congreso

source: http://dl.wdl.org/6817/service/6817.pdf * Gallery: http://www.wdl.org/en/item/6817/

credit: <p><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://dl.wdl.org/6817/service/6817.pdf">http://dl.wdl.org/6817/service/6817.pdf</a> </p> <ul><li>Gallery: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.wdl.org/en/item/6817/">http://www.wdl.org/en/item/6817/</a> </li></ul>

description: This illuminated folio contains the introductory praise <em>dar tawhid-i Bari</em> (to God and His Unity, or <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> the Unity of the Creator) of the second book of Niẓāmī Ganjavī's <em>Khamsah</em> (Quintet), entitled <em>Khusraw va Shirin</em>. It continues the text of the first two folios of the book, also held in the Library of Congress, and thus completes the praise of God typically found at the beginning of each book of the <em>Khamsah</em>. This first section is then followed, as seen <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">on</u> this folio, by an examination of the <em>istidlal</em> (proof) of God's presence and praise for the <em>dar munajat-i Bari ta'ala</em> (Exalted Creator). Written during the last few decades of the 12th century, the <em>Khamsah</em><em> </em>consists of five books written in rhyming distichs. Along with Firdawsī's <em>Shahnamah</em> (Book of kings), the <em>Khamsah</em><em> </em>stands out as one of the great <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">monuments</u> of medieval Persian poetry. It is about the love relationship of the last great Sasanian ruler, Khusraw Parvīz (590–628), and his beautiful mistress, Shirin, and many of the episodes in the story revolve around the complications caused by the king's ruses and the strength and faithfulness of his mistress. The illumination, text layout, and Nasta'liq script are typical of manuscripts made in the city of Shiraz during the second half of the 16th century. The script is written in four columns per page, each with 20 lines. <br>Calligraphy, Persian; Epic poetry; Illuminations; <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">islamic</u> calligraphy; <u style="background-color:yellow;" class="">islamic</u> manuscripts; Khosrow II, King of Persia, died 628; Love stories; Persian poetry; Poetry