One of them is a Bukharan Khamsa (Quintet) by Nizami dated 1058 / 1648, with miniatures. The library of the Bukharan rulers once kept 20 Persian manuscripts of the 15th – 19th centuries, presented in 1913 by ‘Alim Khan to Nicholas II on the occasion of the 300 th anniversary of the House of Romanov.
The socalled collection of the Bukharan Amir, transferred to the Public Library in the same year 1913, consists mainly of copies of poetic works by famous authors. Bukhara is the place where Sa‘di’s “Bustan” was copied by the court calligrapher Mir Kulangi in 983 / 1575 – 1576, as well as Amir Khusraw Dihlavi’s poem “Duvalrani va Khizr Khan” (1006 / 1598) that is bound together with the Shirazian copy of the second half of the 16th century of the poem “Yusuf and Zulaikha” by Jami. The source of the acquisition of the “Shahnama” by Firdawsi remains unclear.
You can learn more about the topic in the book-album "Arts of the book in the 15th–17th-century Mawarannahr" (Volume XVII) in the series "Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections".
The main sponsor of the project is the oilfield services company Eriell-Group.
