nizami

Nizami Ganjavi, also rendered Nezami or Nizami Ganjavi, was a 12th-century Persian poet from the city of Ganja in the historic Arran region, present-day Azerbaijan. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest figures in Persian literature and a principal contributor to the classical Persian epic tradition.

Little is known about his early life. He is believed to have lived during the late 12th century and to have spent much of his career at regional courts in the Arran area and in major Persian-speaking centers. He died around 1209, with the exact circumstances and location of his burial remaining uncertain.

Nizami is best known for the Khamsa (The Quintet), a collection of five long narrative poems that became a touchstone of Persian romance and epic. The five works traditionally included are Makhzan-ol-Asrar (The Treasury of Secrets), Khosrow and Shirin, Layla and Majnun, Haft Paykar (The Seven Beauties), and Eskandar-nameh (The Book of Alexander). The Khamsa combines love and chivalry with moral, philosophical, and Sufi-inflected themes, drawing on Persian, Arabic, and local legends.

His verse is celebrated for refined diction, lucid narrative, psychological insight, and the fusion of romantic plots with ethical and spiritual considerations. Nizami’s influence extended beyond Persian literature to Turkish, Indian, and other Persianate literary cultures, shaping later poets and storytellers.

Today Nizami Ganjavi is commemorated in Iran, Azerbaijan, and the broader Persian-speaking world. His works have been widely translated and continue to be studied for their literary artistry and cultural significance.