2021-04-14

Nizami Ganjavi

Life

 

Nizami Ganjavi (1141, Ganja – 1209, Ganja) is a prominent Azerbaijani poet and philosopher, who had a great influence on the literature of the Near Eastern countries. He was born and educated in Ganja, where he learnt medieval sciences, including folklore and literature of the Eastern countries. He spoke fluently Turkish, Arabic, Persian languages, knew Greek language and had extensive knowledge in ancient Greek history, philosophy, astronomy, medicine and geography. He lived his whole life in Ganja and refused to be a poet in the courthouse, which was customary at that time.

 

 

Creative works:

Nizami Ganjavi started his literary life with writing lyrical poems. He wrote a large collection of poems (divan), gazals and gasidas. Most of his poems were unfortunately not preserved throughout the centuries, but according to the historians, he had written around 20.000 lines of poems. His works are prominent for high artistic value, humanism and idealism.

 

Nizami Ganjavi is famous in the world literature through his collection of 5 long poems, also known as “Khamsa” (Quintet), written in the form of masnavi. The first of his long poem “Makhzanul-asrar” (Treasure of secrets) brought the poet immense fame. He finished “Khosrov and Shirin” poem in 1180, written upon the order of ruler Toghrul III and sent it to ruler Mahammad Jahan Pahlavan. In 1188, the ruler of Shirvan, Akhsitan I ordered the poet to write a poem based on “Leyli and Majnun” legend. Nizami Ganjavi tried to refuse it first, but later accepted it and created “Leyli and Majnun” poem (the first one in the East). He wrote “Seven beauties” in 1196 for ruler Alaadin Baby Arslan and finally, towards the end of his life, he wrote “Iskandarnama” (approximately 1203), which was the collection of his literary-esthetic, public-philosophical ideas.

 

Nizami Ganjavi wrote his poems in Persian. In “Leyli and Majnun”, he expressed regret for not writing in Turkish language.

 

Nizami’s poems influenced greatly the literature of South Caucasusian and Near Eastern nations (Persian, Tajik, Indian, Afghani, Kurdish, Turkman, Ozbak, Kazakh, Kirgiz and etc.). His poems have been translated into many languages of the world. Rare manuscripts of his works are preserved in the prominent libraries, museums and archives of the world (Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Baku, Dashkan, Tabriz, Tehran, Cairo, Istanbul, Delhi, London, Paris and etc.).

 

His tomb is located in his native city Ganja, Azerbaijan. His monuments were erected in Baku, Saint-Petersburg and Rome. Institute of Literature of Academy of Azerbaijani National Sciences and National Azerbaijani Literature Museum bear the name of Nizami Ganjavi. Today, Center of Nizami Ganjavi within Oxford University in Great Britain also functions successfully.

 

With the decision of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 2021 is proclaimed as Year of Nizami Ganjavi in Azerbaijan.

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