Earth Views

Copied from the Trailblazer guide to Azerbaijan: 'Nizami' Ganjavi (1141-1209) Born Ilias ibn Yusif, the pen name Nizami means 'stringer of syllables' - a professional praise-poet. For one piece of poetic obsequiousness he received, in lieu of a fee, a female slave who later became his wife. Nizami's mature work culminated in a collection of five epics collectively known as Xamsa for which he is now considered Azerbaijan's Shakespeare; each is a classic in its own rights. You'll find Nizami statues, streets and cinemas in most Azeri towns.