Varka and Golshah



Varka and Golshah, also Varqeh and Gulshah, Varqa o Golšāh (ورقه و گلشاه, Varqa wa Golshāh), is an 11th-century Persian epic in 2,250 verses, written by the poet Ayyuqi. In the introduction, the author eulogized the famous Ghaznavid ruler Mahmud of Ghazni (r.998–1030).

Varka and Golshah inspired the French medieval romantic story Floris and Blancheflour.

Story
The epic is the story of the love between a youth named Varqa and a maiden, Golshah. Their fathers are Arab brothers, Homām and Helāl, chiefs of the tribe of the Banū Šabīh. When Varka and Golshah were supposed to be married, Golshah was abducted by an enemy named Rabīʿ b. ʿAdnān. Various battles ensued, and Varqa's father and Rabīʿ and his two sons are killed, until Golshah was finally rescued. The wedding though is cancelled by Golshah's father, who claims that Varqa is too poor. In order to get rich, Varqa goes to the court of his maternal uncle, Monḏer king of the Yemen. Meanwhile, the king of Syria obtains Golshah's hand from her mother. When Varqa returns as a rich man, he is told that Golsha is dead, but he finds out that this is a lie. He goes to Syria to confront the king, but is treated with such kindness by him that he feels obliged to give up on Golshah. He dies of grief soon after. Golshah goes to his grave, and there dies of grief too. Their twin tombs became a place of pilgrimage for both Jews and Muslims. A year later the Prophet Moḥammad visited the tombs, and resurrected Varqa and Golsha, at last reunited.

Unique 13th century edition with miniatures
The epic is based on an old Arab story, but the only known manuscript is a 13th-century edition, generally held to be a product of early 13th-century Seljuks. It is the earliest known illustrated manuscript in the Persian language, and was most probably created in Konya.

The miniatures represent typical Central Asian people, thickset with large round heads. The author of the miniatures in the manuscript is the painter Abd ul-Mumin al-Khoyi, born in the city of Khoy in the Azerbaijan region. The manuscript was completed in Konya, under the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum. It is now located in the Topkapi Museum (Topkapı Sarayı Müzesi, Hazine 841 H.841). It can be dated to circa 1250.

Weaponry
The paintings from the manuscript provide rare depictions of the contemporary military of the Seljuk period, and may have influenced other known depictions of Turkic Seljuk soldiers. All depicted costumes and accoutrements are contemporary to the artist, in the 13th century CE. The miniatures constitute the first known example of illustrated Persian-language manuscript, dating from the pre-Mongol era, and are useful in studying weapons of the period. Particularly, metal face masks and chainmail helmets in Turkic fashion, and armor with small metal plates connected through straps, large round shields (the largest of them called "kite-shields") and long teardrop shields, armoured horses are depicted. The weapons and armour types depicted in the miniatures were common in the Middle East and the Caucasus in the Seljuk era.