This splendid work consists of thirteen essays by eminent scholars, each focusing on different aspects of the Khamsa, which is a collection of five long poems written by the Persian poet Nizami of Ganja (1141-1209). Its heroes, Khosrow and Shirin, Leili and Majnun, Iskandar, have become household names all over the Islamic world. This volume reflects topics such as mysticism, art history, comparative literature, science, and philosophy. It constitutes a significant development in the field of Nizami-studies, and more general, of Persian literature. It shows how classical Greek knowledge...