Heroes and Kings: Exhibition at John Rylands Library, Deansgate

23 Feb 2010

New exhibition opening 18 February and related events

Heroes and Kings: The Shahnama of Ferdowsi
Christie Gallery
18 February to 27 June 2010
Free

The Shahnama, or Book of Kings, is an epic poem written by the Persian poet commonly known as Ferdoswi. The national epic of Iran, it tells the mythical and historical past of the Persian empire from the creation of the world up until the Arab conquest in the 7th century. Inspired by ancient oral traditions, popular folk tales and written histories, Ferdowsi’s work was completed in 1010 CE and this exhibition marks its millennium year.

Heroes and Kings offers a rare opportunity to see the exciting and beautiful Shahnameh manuscripts from the Library’s collections, some of which are more than 500 years old. The exhibition explores the language, art, history and mythology of the Shahnama through a series of themed displays.

Images of battles and court life depicted in the miniature paintings are brought to life by the inclusion of Persian arms and armour, coins from the mints of Alexander the Great and works of decorative art which have been kindly loaned by The Manchester Museum.

Related event to the new Heroes and Kings: The Shahnama of Ferdowsi exhibition:
The Kite Runner
Thursday 25 February, 6pm-8.30pm
Free

The Shahnama has a significant presence in the The Kite Runner – the book itself is given as a birthday present to one of the main characters, and the stories of heroism, revenge and tragedy resonate throughout Khaled Hosseini’s narrative. This film adaptation of the bestselling novel was released in 2007 to critical acclaim.

Curator tour and close-up
Thursday 25 February, 12 noon-12.45pm
£3.00
Booking essential – please contact our Visitor Services Team on 0161 306 0555 or jrl.events@manchester.ac.uk

Join the curator of Heroes and Kings for a tour of the exhibition and take the opportunity to have a closer look at related material not included in the exhibition.