THE DEPICTION OF DIVINE LOVE IN THE MINIATURES ILLUSTRATING NIZAMI GANJAVI’S KHAMSA

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyze the visual representation of the concept of divine love in the miniatures illustrating Nizami Ganjavi’s Khamsa. The research employs art-historical, iconographic, and comparative analytical methods. The analysis focuses on miniatures created
for the poems “Layli and Majnun” and “Khusraw and Shirin,” examining the Sufi interpretation of love, its symbolic and metaphorical means of expression, and compositional features. The findings demonstrate that in these miniatures love is not depicted merely as a worldly emotion, but as a path of spiritual perfection leading toward divine truth. Through the system of images, color symbolism, and spatial organization, the relationship between the exoteric and esoteric dimensions is visually articulated. In conclusion, the miniatures of Nizami’s Khamsa represent a highly developed artistic expression of the concept of divine love within the tradition of Eastern visual art.