Persian Literature and Poetry Day in Iran Date in the current year: September 18, 2024

Persian literature comprises oral compositions and written texts in the Persian language. Spanning 2,500 years, it is one of the oldest literatures in the world, although the majority of pre-Islamic written works in Persian have been lost. The High Middle Ages are considered the Golden Age of Persian poetry. The most notable poets of that period include Ferdowsi, Saadi Shirazi, Omar Khayyam and Hafez.

Mohammad-Hossein Shahriar, however, belongs to contemporary Iranian poets. He was born in 1906 in Tabriz, a city in Iranian Azerbaijan. He composed poems in Persian and Azerbaijani, so he is celebrated as an influential figure in both Persian and Azerbaijani literature. His works were very popular among common people because Shairiar widely used colloquial language in his works, which made them understandable and relatable.

Shahriar died on September 18, 1988 in Tehran. His body was transferred to his home town of Tabriz and was buried in the Mausoleum of Poets (Maqbarat-o-shoara). Shahriar’s death anniversary was declared Persian Literature and Poetry Day in order to honor his contribution to contemporary Persian poetry.