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Collection of Nezami’s Panj Ganj

Inscribed 2011

What is it

Five separate manuscript copies of Panj Ganj, a collection of five versified stories in Persian, attributed to the medieval Persian poet Nezami Ganjavi and gathered together in one volume.

Why was it inscribed

Also known as Khamseh, the work is a renowned masterpiece of Persian literature. Its style proved hugely influential, providing a model for later versified storytellers to follow as well as inspiration for Persian artists.

Where is it

Sepahsalar Library, Sepahsalar School, Tehran, Iran; Golestan Palace, Tehran, Iran; National Museum of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Malek National Library and Museum, Tehran, Iran; Central Library and document centre of the University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Panj Ganj means ‘Five Treasures’, a reference to the five separate tales within the collection, all of which are derived from recognized narratives in Persian literature. The collection is believed to be the work of Nezami Ganjavi (1133–1222) who lived at a time when the narrative poetry form in Persia was at its height. The five stories take the form of long poems versified in rhyming couplets (mathnavi in Persian) and retell the most famous and popular romantic stories from Persia.

The first of the five stories is Makhzan al-Asrar (Treasury of Secrets). It has 2263 couplets and 20 essays, each telling a single story expressive of the poet’s inner state and the importance of the acquisition of self-knowledge. Khosrow and Shirin has 6512 couplets relating one of the best-known Persian love stories – the story of Khosrow Parviz, the Sasanid king of Iran, and Shirin, an Armenian princess. Layli and Majnoon, written in AD 1188 after Khosrow and Shirin, relates a story of unhappy love over 4718 couplets.

The section acknowledged as the finest in Panj Ganj is Haft Paykar (Seven Bodies), a poem in 5136 couplets recounting the story of a Sasanid king, Bahram Goor, together with seven stories that seven princesses narrated for the king in seven palaces. Finally, Eskandar Nameh (The Tale of Alexander) tells the story of Alexander the Great and his wars, with philosophical reflections and advice in two parts comprising 10,500 couplets.

Pages from the manuscripts

The work was written during the rule of the Saljuqid dynasty, noted for their patronage of the arts and particularly of poetry, literature and language. Although written around 850 years ago, the poems remain easily comprehensible and enduringly popular with modern-day Persian speakers. Panj Ganj remains a masterpiece of its genre and is enduringly influential. The work has also been translated into the major European and Asian languages.

Many manuscripts of the tales exist, but the five listed are exceptional for several reasons, including the quality of the artistry, the quality of the calligraphy, associations with royal libraries and a dated inscription of the year 1318 on one, making it the oldest known version.

An image of the author Nezami from an Azerbaijani banknote