Mahsati Ganjavi and her eternal poetry

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Mahsati Ganjavi is regarded as one of the first poetesses of the East. Her poetry is considered to be a valuable example of Azerbaijani and world literature. 

All biographers take basic information about the life of the great poetess' life from the 13th-century dastan (saga) "Mahsati and Amir Ahmad", the manuscripts of which are kept at the Azerbaijan Institute of Manuscripts.

Some latest researches suggest that  Mahsati Ganjavi was probably born in 1089 in the city of Ganja. 

After leaving Ganja for several years, Mahsati Ganjavi returned to her hometown and lived there until the end of her days.

The years spent in separation from her hometown left an imprint on many of her poems.

The poetess became famous in Azerbaijan's medieval literature as a master of rubai or a quatrain, a poem or a verse of a poem consisting of four lines. 

Many of her poems are filled with deep philosophical meaning. The love plot holds the main place in her creations. At the same time, she dedicated her poems to artisans, poets, singers.

Most of her poems were written during the time spent in the palace of Sultan Mahmud Seljuk and that of his uncle Sanjar Seljuk. 

She is said to gain the favor of Sanjar by the verse, which she extemporized when Sanjar found that a sudden fall of snow had covered the ground. 

Her poems have been translated into different languages. Most of her works have not survived. Some 257 rubais and around 30 poetic passages of Mahsati Ganjavi have been published until today. 

After so many years, the poetess is still highly respected for her poetry.

The street, a school, an academic institution, a museum, and some other places have been named after Mahsati Ganjavi. 

In 2013, the 900th anniversary of Mahsati Ganjavi was celebrated at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The event was organized by the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to UNESCO.

In the same year,  an exhibition dedicated to the poetess opened at the National History Museum as part of International Museum Day.

Moreover, there is a museum in Ganja dedicated to her which is functioning in the building of the caravanserai, part of the Sheikh Bahauddin ensemble.