“Divan of Ghazals”

The turquoise margins with golden vegetal ornament transform the pages of this divan into a ceremonial space of poetry. Alisher Navoi’s “Divan of Ghazals” was copied in Herat in 1492–1493, during the author’s lifetime, by Sultan Ali Mashhadi, a master of nastaliq who worked at the court of Sultan Husayn Bayqara.
For Navoi, the ghazal was not merely a lyrical genre. It united the theme of love, ethical reflection, Sufi imagery, and a refined Turkic literary language that the poet consciously established as a language of major poetry in Central Asia.
The manuscript demonstrates the highest culture of the Herat kitabkhana: a double-page frontispiece with lapis-blue and gold, strict frames, elegant text panels, and an owner’s seal in the margin. The ceremonial leather binding with a golden shamsa and border shows that the book was regarded as a precious object. Such manuscripts were intended for courtly reading, library preservation, and the display of a patron’s cultural status, joining text with visual prestige among the educated readers of Herat. Navoi’s poetry, Sultan Ali’s hand, and the art of binding create a unified image of the late Timurid intellectual world.