The story of Ḵosrow and Shīrīn is a romantic tale composed by Neẓāmī Ganjavī in the 12th century, though its roots go back centuries earlier. In this story, Shīrīn is an Armenian princess renowned for her extraordinary beauty. Ḵosrow is none other than Ḵosrow II Parvēz (r. 591-628), the powerful Sassanian king, who falls in love with Shīrīn and desires to marry her. Neẓāmī introduces a fictional character whose historical identity is unknown: Farhād, a master craftsman skilled in rock carving and mountain reliefs. In Neẓāmī’s tale, Farhād falls in love with Shīrīn. Enraged by this rival, Ḵosrow sends Farhād to the mountains under the pretext of carving Mount Bīstūn. Bīstūn is a mountain near modern-day Kermānšāh, Iran, renowned for its exquisite historical bas-reliefs, including Darius the Great’s inscription and the statue of Hercules from the Seleucid era. Neẓāmī references this mountain in his story, portraying Farhād as the creator of these reliefs.
The illustration of the Ḵhosrow and Shīrīn story in the Ḵamsa(Quintet) manuscripts was particularly popular between the late 14th and late 16th centuries. Workshops in important cities such as Tabriz, Shiraz, and Herat produced these manuscripts under the patronage of Iranian kings and princes. Among the scenes illustrated in these manuscripts, the depictions of Farhād’s encounters with Shīrīn were particularly prominent and frequently illustrated. Notable examples include the scene where Shīrīn visits Farhād or the moment when Farhād carries Shīrīn and her horse on his shoulders to the palace. In many of these illustrated Ḵamsas(Quintet), when artists painted these scenes, they also included Farhād’s bas-relief on the mountain. Neẓāmī describes this bas-relief as “the portrait of Shīrīn” and “the figure of the king and Shabdiz” on Mount Bīstūn in Kermānšāh. Shabdiz was the name of Ḵosrow Parvēz’s famous horse, whose remarkable qualities have been praised in many ancient texts. It’s written that Ḵhosrow loved this horse so dearly that upon its death, he commanded its image be carved into the mountain.
However, a curious detail arises: the artists who illustrated these scenes over several centuries, whenever they wished to depict the bas-relief of Mount Bīstūn, instead painted a different relief— one, now known as Taq-i Bostān. The bas-relief at Taq-i Bostān, located in a large rock-cut arch, is several kilometers from Bīstūn. This research addresses the question: Why did this substitution occur in Persian painting: Why did the artists depict Taq-i Bostān instead of Bīstūn? Did they not recognize the difference between the two sites, or did they lack an accurate understanding of the reliefs?
In search of answers, ancient reports about these two locations were first examined to understand the historical perception of these sites. The study reveals that none of the earlier reports from the 8th to 15th centuries confused the artworks of Bīstūn and Taq-i Bostān. These reports were likely the source of knowledge for later artists. Therefore, if no confusion existed in earlier observations and accounts, why did Persian painters choose to depict the reliefs of the grand arch at Taq-i Bostān instead of those at Bīstūn?
For this research, 20 paintings from 47 illustrated Ḵamsa(Quintet) manuscripts were examined and analyzed. The findings indicate that the visual substitution of these reliefs in Persian paintings was a deliberate artistic choice, not a result of confusion between the two historical sites. The ancient people’s unfamiliarity with the meaning and historical identity of Bīstūn’s bas-reliefs, particularly the figures represented, led them to choose the imagery of Taq-i Bostān. The motifs of Taq-i Bostān were more understandable and relatable when viewed in the context of Ḵhosrow’s life. It seems that the reliefs of Taq-i Bostān had significant narrative potential for the people of that time, allowing them to associate these images with familiar oral stories. Some of the core elements of this narrative potential include the depiction of a female figure, the horse motif, the grandeur of Sassanian kingship, and their connection to Ḵhosrow’s life. These features were precisely the elements needed for illustrating Neẓāmī’s story of Ḵosrow and Shīrīn: the depiction of a woman (Shīrīn), the image of a horse (Shabdiz), a wealthy and powerful king (the Sasanian king Ḵosrow II Parvēz), who can remove his rival, and, most importantly, bas-reliefs carved into a mountain, representing Farhād’s craftsmanship.