Farhad’s Tulip

The story of Farhad originates in Persian literature, most notably in Khosrow and Shirin by Nizami Ganjavi, written in the 12th century. Farhad is a skilled stonecutter who falls in love with Shirin, an Armenian princess. Seen as a rival by King Khosrow, Farhad is sent to carve a passage through Mount Bisutun, a task intended to be impossible. He works on the mountain for years, sustained only by devotion. When he is falsely told that Shirin has died, Farhad loses hope and throws himself from the mountain. In Nizami’s poem, the story ends with his death. Later Persian and Ottoman folklore added the belief that red tulips grew where his blood touched the ground, and the flower became associated with self-sacrificing love, loss, and remembrance.

Watercolor on paper, 2025
18x24 cm