2025
2025
The painting depicts a miniature by Behzad Kamal ad-Din, "The Construction of the Kharanagh Fortress," created between 1495–1496. This is an illustration from Nizami Ganjavi's epic poem Iskandarnama.
To create the complete image of a fabricated Azerbaijani culture, Azerbaijani "intellectuals" have also invented the concept of an imagined "Azerbaijani miniature school." In their efforts to establish a "national-artistic culture" and create history, they have targeted the renowned Iranian miniature artist Behzad Kamal al-Din. Azerbaijani researchers present his legacy in books and manuals on the history of Azerbaijani culture as part of their heritage. Just as they designate the 12th century as the "period of the rise of Azerbaijani literature," using the literary heritage of Iranian authors as a starting point, they similarly claim the 16th century as the "period of the rise of Azerbaijani miniature art," appropriating Iran's rich and valuable miniature legacy.
The so-called "Azerbaijani miniature school" is often represented by the Tabriz school, which is distinguished by its stylistic features within the history of Iranian art and originated in the 14th century. It is also important to note that researchers in the field consider the influence of Armenian miniature art on the Tabriz miniature school to be significant.
The master of manuscript miniature art, Iranian miniaturist Behzad Kamal ad-Din, was born in Herat and worked during the reign of Timurid ruler Husayn Bayqara (1470–1506). In 1486, he became the head of the Herat library. When Safavid Shah Ismail captured Herat in 1506, Behzad was also relocated to Tabriz, where he was appointed as the head of the library of the shah. Azerbaijani researchers consider Behzad an outstanding representative of "Azerbaijani miniature art." However, Kamal ad-Din Behzad was one of the most significant contributors to Iranian painting, having established a distinct stylistic school. Prominent historians of the time compared his mastery to that of Mani, the archetypal painter in Persian literature.
Behzad Kamal ad-Din is credited with numerous manuscript illustrations and paintings, many of which are preserved in renowned libraries and museums worldwide. Among the most notable are the illustrations of the Bustan by the 13th-century Iranian author Saʿdi, keeped in the National Library of Cairo.