Navai’s Poetry as Reflected in Miniature Paintings (A study of Illustrated manuscripts preserved in Iranian collections)

Abstract

Based on the full support of Sultan Husayn Bayqara and Amir
Ali-Shir Nava’i in the royal library, numerous prominent artists gathered
and created valuable works. The works of Nava’i, which held high literary
value, attracted the attention of artists and have been reproduced in
various regions and across successive periods since then. Additionally,
Amir Ali-Shir Nava’i played a significant role in enhancing the writing of
Turkish works, such that after the creation of his works, there was a remarkable
increase in the number of Turkish works produced.
The question of which stories and themes painters chose to illustrate,
and the possible connection of these images with the verses of the
poems, was addressed. In the course of this study, it was observed that
all illustrations originated from adjacent verses. The exception was found
in two manuscripts (Fawa’id al-Kibar and Hayret al-Abrar), where the
images were not contemporaneous with the work and were added later,
lacking a direct connection between the verses next to the paintings and
the text. It is noteworthy that the selected cases for examination were
illustrated manuscripts preserved in Iran, comprising seven manuscripts
in total.