Iran / Persia: A bearded teacher with twenty-four students, possibly representing the first meeting of Layla and Majnun at school. Glazed dish, Kashan, late 12th century

Layla and Majnun, also known as The Madman and Layla – in Arabic ليلى مجنون (Majnun and Layla) or قيس وليلى (Qays and Layla), in Persian: لیلی و مجنون (Leyli o Majnun), Leyla ile Mecnun in Turkish, لیلا مجنو (lailā majanū) in Urdu and Bengali – is a classical Arab story, popularized by Persian poet Nizami Ganjavi's masterpiece, Layli o Majnun.

It is based on the real story of a young man called Majnun during the Umayyad era in the 7th century when Arabs defeated Persia and Ctesiphon was destroyed. In one version, he spent his youth together with Layla, tending their flocks. In another version, upon seeing Layla he fell passionately in love with her. In both versions, however, he went mad when her father prevented him from marrying her; for that reason he came to be called Majnun (Arabic: مجنون) meaning 'mad'.

Copyright:

Supplier: CPA Media Co. Ltd.

Credit:

Pictures From History