He made the statement in his message for the National Ferdowsi Day, which is also Persian Language Day (May 14), IRNA wrote.

Ferdowsi immortalized the Persian language, culture, history, and originality of the Iranian tribes by creating the everlasting work of ‘Shahnameh’, he said.

“Undoubtedly, one of the most important features of Ferdowsi is his epic, pleasant, and eloquent language and that’s why ‘Shahnameh’ has become one of the symbols of Persian-speaking history and culture since the very first days to the present and even for the distant future,” the minister said.

“We Iranians are indebted to Ferdowsi from two perspectives, one is his focus on our homeland and the second is directing attention to Persian language and literature, which is the greatest message of ‘Shahnameh’ for Iranians.”

‘Shahnameh’, on the one hand, has a divine origin and, on the other, is compatible with human nature. It admires fulfillment of pledge and denounces not keeping a promise, Mounesan added.

Undoubtedly, the long-lasting permanence of the Persian language is indebted to the famous Iranian poet. Ferdowsi designed the Persian language and literature in such a way that his artwork was protected in years and spread the Persian literature beyond the borders of Iran, the minister said.‌

Persian-speaking states’ poets inspired by ‘Shahnameh’

‘Shahnameh’ has been inspiring numerous epic poets in Persian-speaking states, Iranian Ambassador to Tajikistan Mohammad–Taqi Saberi said on Wednesday.

Expressing congratulations on National Ferdowsi Day, he said that Ferdowsi’s masterpiece has been the token of solidarity of the Persian-speaking nations.

Shahnameh could be regarded as a valuable heritage for Iranians as well as all Persian-speaking countries, the ambassador said.

Its universal message has transcended the interests of the enduring work, inspiring many writers and researchers around the globe to conduct extensive research on the book, he further noted.

Ferdowsi (940-1020), the author of ‘Shahnameh’ which is the world’s longest epic poem created by a single poet, is celebrated as the most influential figure in Persian literature. The poet continues to revive national and epic stories and history of Iran and breathe new life into Persian language and literature, and therefore he enjoys a lofty status and is venerated as Iran’s national poet.

Ferdowsi spent over three decades writing ‘Shahnameh’. It is twice as long as Homer’s ‘Iliad and Odyssey’ combined. The book about the Persian kings, written entirely in Persian, played a key role in the revival of this language and made a significant contribution to the development of Persian literature.