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The late vizier and the poet Sanāʾī

IsIAO Dep CS 481_6
IsIAO Dep CS 481_6.
Sanai
Sanai.

verses inscribed on a tomb of Ghazni (Afghanistan, early 12th century)

by Viola ALLEGRANZI, doctorante Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3.

Now located in Central-Eastern Afghanistan, Ghazni was once the thriving capital of a Muslim dynasty of Central Asian Turkish origin that pulled its name out of this city: the Ghaznavids (977-1186). Among the remains preserved of the medieval Ghazni, we will dwell on a funerary monument that stands out not only for the fineness of its scenery, but also for the interest of the historical information it delivers. This tomb’s inscriptions enable us indeed to discover a political character little known from sources, who was Grand Vizier at the Court of the Ghaznavids. They also speak of a renowned poet, Sanāʾī of Ghazni (ca. 1087-1130), to which is attributed the Elegy inscribed around the Cenotaph. The study of this monument brings a new light on the epigraphic tradition and the relationship between power and culture in eastern Iran at the turn of the 12th century.

CONFERENCE at 6pm