TEHRAN -- Ordibehesht 25 on the Persian calendar has been registered as the day of commemorating the Persian Language Day and the renowned poet Hakim Abul-Qasem Ferdowsi Tusi.
The National Day of Ferdowsi honors Iran’s national values and religious beliefs by recognizing Ferdowsi’s role in immortalizing the Persian language, culture, and history through his timeless masterpiece, the ‘Shahnameh’ or the Book of Kings.
On Tuesday, a variety of programs were held across Iran to celebrate the day.
Ferdowsi stands tall in Persian literature. Born in the year 940 CE in Tus, located in what is now eastern Iran, Ferdowsi is lauded as a colossus among Persian poets.
The Shahnameh is an epic narrative that weaves together over 50,000 verses of Iran’s mythical and historical sagas, spanning from the dawn of its civilization to the Islamic conquest. It is twice as long as Homer’s ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey’ combined.
Persian literature scholars believe that the Shahnameh can be considered a preserving force that keeps the culture and customs of the Iranian people alive.
In a verse from the book, Ferdowsi wrote, “I toiled much over thirty years; by the Persian language, I remade Iran.”
The verses refer to the fact that Ferdowsi spent 30 years writing the Shahnameh over a millennium ago.
Ferdowsi’s tomb is one of the popular tourist attractions in Iran. Millions of visitors from various provinces of Iran, foreign dignitaries, tourists, and other Persian-speaking people from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East come to see the tomb every year.
The Shahnameh has been translated into many languages and has influenced literary works in other countries. It covers all facets of humanity, calling individuals to aspire to the highest human status.
The book about Persian kings, written entirely in Persian, played a key role in the revival of this language and made a significant contribution to the development of Persian literature.