{"id":46601,"date":"2024-12-11T13:00:55","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T09:30:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unesco.ir\/five-treasures-from-the-five-national-treasures\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T17:47:39","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T14:17:39","slug":"five-treasures-from-the-five-national-treasures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unesco.ir\/en\/five-treasures-from-the-five-national-treasures\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Treasures from the Five National Treasures"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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The special meeting on \u201cFive Manuscript Copies of Nizami\u2019s Khamsa Inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register\u201d was held by Shahid Motahari Higher Education Complex and the Malek National Library and Museum, during which a message from the Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO was read aloud.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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On Monday, 9 December 2024, as part of the series of Research Week meetings, the second session, entitled \u201cFive Manuscript Copies of Nizami\u2019s Khamsa Inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register\u201d, was held at 3 p.m. in the conference hall of the Malek National Library and Museum.<\/p>\n

The special session was attended by artists, professors and experts in the fields of art and manuscript studies, as well as those interested in this field. Behrouz Avazpour, Khashayar Ghazizadeh and Hamidreza Gholichkhani, as experts in the field, and Abdolmahdi Mostakin, representing the Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, delivered speeches at the event. Hassan Mohammadi, Managing Director of the Book-Arayee Cultural and Artistic Institute, served as secretary of the session.<\/p>\n

At the beginning of the program, the Deputy for Research and Technology of Shahid Motahari Higher Education Complex welcomed the guests and thanked the management and staff of the Malek National Library and Museum for their cooperation in organizing the session.<\/p>\n

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Abdolmahdi Mostakin, Senior Adviser to the Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, discussed the position of Hakim Nizami in Iranian literature and philosophy. He enriched his remarks with verses by this eminent Iranian poet and referred to Hakim Nizami as one of the undisputed pillars of the Persian language and literature. He also introduced the UNESCO Memory of the World Program and the process through which Nizami\u2019s Khamsa was inscribed on the Memory of the World Register. Representing Dr. Hassan Fartousi, Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, he then read out a message from the Secretary-General:<\/p>\n

The message of the Secretary-General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO was read as follows:<\/p>\n

Greetings and my deepest respects to all esteemed scholars and distinguished guests,<\/p>\n

In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful<\/p>\n

O you whose memory is the companion of my soul,<\/p>\n

Hakim Nizami is one of the undisputed pillars of the Persian language and literature. Nizami\u2019s collected works are a vast treasure from which distinguished masters of language and scholars of his time gathered their harvest, drawing inspiration and meaning from them. Without his works, the various forms of Persian poetry, including ghazal and lyric poetry, could not have reached their full perfection. It was his themes and ideas that shaped the creation of many of the finest verses in the collected works of the great masters of Persian poetry:<\/p>\n

I have taken the lead among the sharp-minded;
\nI am the king among the jewel-sellers.
\nAll are gatherers of the harvest, while I am the sower of seeds;
\nAll build houses, while I am the keeper of the house.<\/p>\n

All twenty-eight thousand verses of Hakim Nizami\u2019s poetic works are solid and finely wrought. He was an artist who worked magic with words and placed profound and ever-growing wisdom behind every point he made. He was a master of eloquence who brought both miraculous expression and concision to their highest levels, presenting the loftiest and most beautiful meanings in the shortest of expressions.<\/p>\n

In the classical literature of Iran, this remarkable and extraordinary art reaches its culmination in two great masters, Hakim Ferdowsi and Sheikh-e Ajal Saadi; and Hakim Nizami, standing between these two great figures, is undoubtedly one of the towering peaks of Persian literature in its artistic and literary form.<\/p>\n

In the realm of Persian literature, Hakim Nizami is renowned throughout the world for his purity of character and goodness of nature. He himself repeatedly emphasizes that, O Lord, if there is even a single word in my works that is unworthy of You, forgive me for it:<\/p>\n

Though a hundred words may flow from my tongue,
\nIn every word, I praise You.<\/p>\n

From Hakim Nizami\u2019s perspective, speaking in an original and pure manner is an exceedingly difficult task, and not everyone can attain such a position unless they undertake a meaning-centred spiritual journey and exercise self-discipline:<\/p>\n

To speak an original word is to breathe life into the soul;
\nNot everyone is worthy of the gift of speech.<\/p>\n

For more than eight hundred and fifty years now, calligraphers, musicians, painters, literary figures and sages have sat at the threshold of Hakim Nizami\u2019s house and remained in dialogue with him.<\/p>\n

May his soul be joined with happiness;
\nMay the winds of mercy forever bless Nizami.<\/p>\n

The UNESCO Memory of the World Program and the Inscription of Nizami\u2019s Khamsa<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nizami\u2019s Khamsa, a symbol of Iranian art and wisdom, is among the works inscribed under the UNESCO Memory of the World Program. The imagery and verbal artistry of the sage in the Five Treasures have inspired the creation of remarkable works, to the extent that in 2011, UNESCO inscribed five exceptional manuscript copies of Nizami\u2019s Khamsa on the Memory of the World Register, following their nomination by the Memory of the World Committee of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO.<\/p>\n

UNESCO established the Memory of the World Program in 1992 to raise awareness of the threats facing the world\u2019s documentary heritage and to preserve these materials and facilitate access to them. Through the Program, UNESCO seeks to prevent the plundering, dispersal, illicit trafficking and destruction of the world\u2019s documentary heritage. Documentary heritage inscribed on the Memory of the World Register is to be made accessible to all peoples of the world, providing an important means of presenting human history and civilization to the global community.<\/p>\n

The Program calls for the preservation, for future generations, of valuable resources, library collections and private collections around the world; the reconstruction of dispersed documentary heritage; and increased access to and dissemination of these resources. Any organization or individual may nominate a documentary heritage item for inscription under the Program. The International Advisory Committee (IAC) reviews, during its meetings, complete documentation containing information on the provenance, significance, global importance and state of preservation of the nominated item.<\/p>\n

Under the UNESCO Memory of the World Program, inscribed documentary heritage belongs to all and must be preserved and safeguarded in perpetuity and remain accessible to everyone. Each country may submit a maximum of two items every two years for inscription on the World Heritage List, provided that they are movable, consist of signs, codes, sounds or images, can be preserved, reproduced and presented.<\/p>\n

One of the unique copies among Hakim Nizami\u2019s Five Treasures is Manuscript No. 400 of the Sepahsalar Library, which was inscribed on UNESCO\u2019s Memory of the World Register on the basis of the following outstanding criteria:<\/p>\n

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  1. The uniqueness and exceptional character of the work<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Khamsa is one of the masterpieces of Persian literature. Nizami\u2019s style of storytelling brought about a transformation in Persian poetry and opened a new path for subsequent poets, giving rise to what came to be known as the Nizami School. Through this work, Nizami brought Persian narrative poetry to a high level of development. This poetic cycle is one of the masterpieces of world literature and is unparalleled in the Persian language.<\/p>\n

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    1. Unique calligraphy and manuscript illumination<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Among the magnificent features of manuscripts of Hakim Nizami\u2019s works are the arts of calligraphy, illumination and Persian miniature painting. The Sepahsalar Library manuscript, through its harmonious combination of authentic Iranian colors, the flight of birds, the graceful gestures of angels, the songs of the nightingale, the bowing of beasts, and the blossoming of hyacinths and aromatic herbs, has beautifully sought to depict Hakim Nizami\u2019s romantic narratives through its exceptional illumination. The manuscript\u2019s calligrapher likewise devoted himself with the utmost dedication to transcribing the work in the elegant Nastaliq script, an Iranian invention, thereby creating an unparalleled masterpiece.<\/p>\n

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      1. Authenticity and state of preservation<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Fortunately, this manuscript has been well preserved and safeguarded and, in this respect, has received an outstanding assessment from experts of the UNESCO Memory of the World Program.<\/p>\n

        Future Outlook<\/strong><\/p>\n

        The Iranian National Commission for UNESCO intends, in the new phase of its activities, to build upon its commitment to continuing this distinguished path and to go a step further by working with all scholars and stakeholders to facilitate the transformation of Iran\u2019s unparalleled Iranian-Islamic heritage into digital knowledge repositories.<\/p>\n

        The digitization of historical heritage plays an important role in safeguarding these works, facilitating access to them and expanding knowledge about their significance and values. Many historical works gradually deteriorate or are destroyed over time as a result of environmental factors, natural disasters and human intervention. Digitization makes it possible to accurately record and preserve information relating to these works. Moreover, direct access to historical objects, ancient texts and archaeological sites may itself result in their deterioration or destruction.<\/p>\n

        Digital copies provide an alternative that minimizes these risks. By digitizing cultural heritage, researchers, students and interested members of the public can access historical information and resources online and expand their research. These tools also enable researchers to conduct more advanced and precise analyses. For example, digital versions of ancient texts can be analyzed using text-processing software.<\/p>\n

        Digitization also enables people around the world to access these works without the need to be physically present at a particular location. This contributes to increasing public knowledge and awareness. The digital dissemination of heritage strengthens connections among cultures and promotes mutual understanding among peoples. Digitizing heritage preserves valuable historical information for future generations and facilitates comparative, cross-cultural and international study of digitized works.<\/p>\n

        By achieving this objective, we can hope to see this rich and invaluable heritage contribute to the global knowledge network.<\/p>\n

        Thank you.<\/p>\n