Ferdowsi

Hakim Abu’l-Qasim Ferdowsi of Tus (c. 940–1020) ranks among the greatest poets of the Persian language. He was born in Tus, in the historic region of Khorasan in present-day Iran, and died there. His fame rests above all on the Shahnameh, the great Persian epic and one of the enduring monuments of Iranian history and culture.

Through his poetry, Ferdowsi gave new life to the Persian language and helped preserve it for later generations. He is widely regarded as the supreme poet of Persian epic literature, and his reputation extends far beyond Iran. The Shahnameh has been translated into many of the world’s languages. Iran commemorates Ferdowsi each year on 15 May.