Description:
The Shahnameh is the national epic of Iran. It is composed of some 24,000 verses, and tells the story of the Iranian kings from the time of the prophet Zoroaster to the time of the Abbasid dynasty. The Shahnameh is also known by its Arabic title, the Book of Kings. The Shahnameh is thought to have been composed in the 11th century, and is based on earlier oral traditions. The book is divided into three parts, each of which tells the story of a different Iranian dynasty. Part I, covering the time from the prophet Zoroaster to the first Iranian king, is the longest and most complex. Part II, covering the time from the first Iranian king to the first Muslim dynasty, is the shortest and most concise. Part III, covering the time from the first Muslim dynasty to the time of the Abbasid dynasty, is the most popular. The Shahnameh is a highly symbolic work, and its story is full of references to Iranian culture and history. Some of the most famous elements of the Shahnameh include the story of Rostam and Zahra, the story of the Battle of Qadisiyyah, and the story of the Siege of Constantinople. There are many different versions of the Shahnameh, and variations of the name Shahnameh include Shahnameh Ardeshir, Shahnameh Ferdowsi, Shahnameh Golestan, and Shahnameh Soroush.
