“Death of Farhad” kept in the British Library

A miniature painted by Kamal ad-din Behzad for the epic “Khamsa” by Nizami Ganjavi allows you to more clearly imagine this event.‌‌

In the epic Armenian beauty Shirin asks Farhad to lay a canal in the mountains to the castle for milk to flow from a distant pasture, since this is her favorite delicacy. In a month, a master in love cuts a channel through the harsh rocks and lays it out with hewn stones. Learning about Farhad's love for Shirin, Khosrow in a fit of jealousy sends a messenger to him with the news of Shirin's false death to eliminate his rival Farhad. Hearing about the death of his beloved, Farhad in despair throws a pickaxe into the sky, and it, falling, breaks his head. He is dying.

The miniature depicts Farhad surrounded by impregnable rocks, lying on the ground, next to him are the tools of his labor and the pick that caused his death.

On the opposite side, there is a messenger of misf ortune surprised by the tragic result of his words. This miniature, painted by Kamal ud-din Behzad on this subject, is currently kept in the British Library under the title “Death of Farhad”.‌‌

You can learn more about the topic in the book-album "The legacy of Kamal ud-din Behzad in the World Collections" (L volume) in the series "Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections".

The main sponsor of the project is the oilfield services company Eriell-Group.