Ferdowsi. The Shahname, literally meaning ‘Book of Kings,’ is structured according to the mythical and historical reign of 50 Persian Kings.

Why did Ferdowsi write the Shahnameh?

The Shahnameh (“Book of Kings”, composed 977-1010 CE) is a medieval epic written by the poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi (l. c. 940-1020 CE) in order to preserve the myths, legends, history, language, and culture of ancient Persia. The book relates some of the most famous stories from Persian myth, legend, and history.

Is Shahnameh worth reading?

It is a religious, historical and cultural tapestry, in which different layers of the ancient and medieval Iranian culture are interwoven. The Shahname is a book worth reading for everyone, and lucky is the one who can enjoy it in the original Classical Persian.

Who did Ferdowsi write the Shahnameh for?

Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni
The Shahnameh or Shahnama (Persian: شاهنامه‎, romanized: Šāhnāme pronounced [ʃɒːhnɒːˈme]; lit. ‘ ‘The Book of Kings”) is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi for Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni between c. 977 and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran.

What is the other name for Shahnameh?

The Shahnameh (Persian: شاهنامه‎ Šāhnāmah pronounced [ʃɒːhnɒːˈme], “The Book of Kings”, also transliterated Shahnama), is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran.

Why is the Shahnameh so important to Persian Iranian culture?

Ferdowsi used pre-Islamic sources for his epic in an Islamic Iran. He wrote his poem in Persian rather than Arabic, creating a national epic that reconstructed the history and myth of the ancient Persian peoples. Consequently the Shahname has an important place in Persian culture and in the hearts of Persian people.

When did Ferdowsi write the Shahnameh?

Ferdowsi started writing the Shahnameh in 977 AD and completed it on 8 March 1010. The Shahnameh is a monument of poetry and historiography, being mainly the poetical recast of what Ferdowsi, his contemporaries, and his predecessors regarded as the account of Iran’s ancient history.

What does Shahnameh mean in Persian?

The Shahnameh or Shahnama ( Persian: شاهنامه ‎, romanized : Šāhnāme pronounced [ʃɒːhnɒːˈme]; lit. ‘ ‘The Book of Kings”) is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran.

What is Ferdowsi famous for?

Abu ʾl-Qasim Firdowsi Tusi (c. 940–1020), or Ferdowsi was a Persian poet and the author of Shahnameh (“Book of Kings”), which is the world’s longest epic poem created by a single poet, and the national epic of Greater Iran.

What is Ferdowsi’s Book of Kings?

The monumental poem of the Persian poet Ferdowsi, the Shahnameh or Book of Kings, which was completed by this poet in the year 1010 CE, is a massive retelling of the lives and times of 50 kings of Iran.