Amir Alisher Navai is one of the well-known cultural official figures during the period of Temurids.

He was born in Herat, as one of the cultural center and was brought up with the inspiration with the flourishing environment of literature, hence, he contributed his share in the development of culture and literature. 

On the one hand, he was a mature poet and philosopher and on the other hand, he presented himself as a politician, who played a great role in the development of culture and literature, improvement of living standards of people and landscaping and improving the standard of living and the lands.

In poetry, Navai was deeply inspired by the masterpieces of religious and literature mentors, like Hafiz Shirazi, Abdurrahman Jami, Saadi Shirazi, Fariduddin Attar, Amir Khusrav Dehlavi, Salman Savaji, Kamal Hujandi, Hayyam Nishapuri, Sanai, Hakani and Firdausi. Mostly, Navai was influenced and fascinated by Hafiz Shirazi’s books. 

Navai describes his belief, and views in two languages – as a pen-name he used Navai in Uzbek and Foni in Persian languages, presenting the high position and the glistening the literature of his time. Due to this, he is considered as one of the connecting links of Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan and other countries in Central Asia, as a symbol of friendship, solidarity and harmony of the peoples of this region.

From my humble point of view, it would be better to express what we want to say, by the words of bilingual poet, in the following: 

Maaniyi shirin-u ranginam ba turki behad ast,

Forsi ham laal-u durhoi simin chun bingari.

Guyo dar rosti bozir sukhan bigshodam

Yak taraf dukoni qannodi-yu yak so zargari.

(I do have colorful and sweet poets in Turkic

However, there are incomparable pearls in Persian too.

As if I have markets of words: 

One has sweets, the other has jewelry.)

Meaning: I have uncountable poems in the Turkic language, however, there are plenty of pearls in Persian too. As if I own a word market: there is one market for sweets and another one is a market of jewelry. 

A great treasure was left by Alisher Navai, including his major thirty artworks, and some of them were written after being inspired by Persian word masters. For instance, his epic of “Khamsa” was composed in the style of “Khamsa” by Nizami Ganjavi and Khusrav Dehlavi which includes “Layli and Majnun”, “Farhad and Shirin”, “Iskandarname”, while the epos of "Lisonut-tayr" is written as a commentary to Fariduddin Attar’s epos “Mantiqut-tayr”. His “Majalis un-Nafais” contains biographies of about three hundred and fifty poets and other great people who were contemporaries of Navai, and this work has been translated into Persian.

Navai’s “Mahbubul-qulub” is a large book which was written in rhythmic prose, and according to the views of researchers, the book was composed on the work styles of Saadi’s “Golestan” and Jami’s “Baharestan”. Navai also wrote “Munajat” a supplication book, in which he addresses God, the Lord of the worlds with his prayers and supplications. The most prominent poems in Persian are commemoration and mourning poems which were dedicated to the death of his friend and Sheikh Abdurrahman Jami. 

Amir Alisher Navai in one of his supplications addresses his Merciful and Compassionate Lord: “Oh God, save me from the reproach of those who do not know goodness, and make me one of those who do justice to others."

Amir Alisher Navai is also one of the commentators of the Holy Quran and the author of religious books. For instance, his prose about the history of the Prophets “Tarihi Anbiya wa Hukama” and the biographies of Sufis “Nasayimul-Mohabbat”, “Arbaeen” a collection of poetic translation of the forty hadith by Raslullah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), a jurisprudence related book “Sirajul-Muslimeen” and “Nathemul-Javahir” and reflecting his religious views “Lisa nut-Tayr”. There are also several poetic supplications “Munajat” which contains the poet’s prayers to God. 

Navai was a master of music and art and many of his melodies were composed by the inspiration of nature and chippering of birds. 

The interest and attention of writers, poets and scientific researchers to the treasures of Amir Alisher Navai, as well as a large number of his pen works, led to the formation of multilingual dictionaries to overcome the difficulties that may arise in understanding the words and terms used in his works. During the reign of the Qajar dynasty in Iran (1795-1925), commentary on the works of Alisher Navai was widely spread. To simplify reading and understanding poems of Navai were compiled “Sanglah” dictionary by Mirza Mehihan Astrabadi (died in 1760). 

A majority of the books of Navai a founder of Uzbek literature have been translated and published in various languages. As well in Iran were published and presented his poetry collection “Mufradat” a treatise on the art problem, “Munajat”, “Hamsatul-Mutahayyirin”, “Mezanul-Awzan”, “Muhakamatul-Lughatayn”, “Majlis un-Nafais” and “Nazmul-Javahir" were published and presented to the fans of Navai. 

The book “Work and life of Amir Alisher Navai” is the result of a scientific dissertation of Dr. Sughrabanu Shukufta at the University of Tehran in the field of Persian language and literature, and the book was published in Tehran’s “Al-Huda” publishing house. Moreover, in Tehran was also published a book which is dedicated to the life of Alisher Navai, "Makarimul-Akhlaq" by Ghiyasiddin ibn Humamiddin Khandamir, a contemporary of Navai. Besides, Mashhad University named after Firdausi in 2015 was held at an international conference dedicated to Navai. In the conference were participated 370 scientific researchers with their presentations, thesis and lectures which dedicated to the works and services of Amir Alisher Navai from Iran, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, India, Germany, the U.S., Tajikistan and Kirgizstan. 

The friendship ties of Alisher Navai with Sultan Hossein Baykara allowed Navai to serve at the palace of the Baykara government to expand the science, culture, construction and prosperity of his time. He built and reconstructed many social and infrastructure facilities in and around Khorasan, including the city of Herat, such as mausoleums, madrasas, hospitals, caravanserais, markets, roads, bridges, etc. The number of structures is stated in his book “Majlis un-Nafais” as 370. 

These include Ikhlasiya Madrasa and Khanaqah in Herat, Shifaiya and Nizamiya Madrasas, Khosraviya Madrasah in Marv, Herat Mosque, or Turuk Dam, a brick dam in Iran's Khorasan Province.

A great service was provided by Alisher Navai to Iran, including constructions in Khorasan province and Holy Mashhad city, as well as to the people of this region and the city. These reconstructions are included the porch on the southern side of the courtyard of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.), the Tomb of Fariduddin Attar a famous poet of XII-XIII centuries, Ikhlasiya madrasa in Herat, Shifaiya and Nizami madrasas, Khosraviya madrasah in Marv, Herat Jami mosque or Turk Dam which was constructed by brick in Khorasan region, Iran and Sangbast and Dizabad caravanserais and Sarakhs mosque in Razavi region of Khorasan were built by the efforts of Amir Alisher Navai.

Amir Alisher Navai was a cultural statesman of the Timurids period and a great and well-known patron of culture. For this reason, many scholars, artists, poets, writers and sages of that time gathered around him, the most famous of whom was the well-known historians Mirkhand and Khandamir, the famous painter Kamaliddin Behzad, the famous calligrapher Sultan Ali Mashhadi, the famous scholars Vaiz Kashifi and Ilahi Ardabili, and of course the great poet and sage Jami.

Navai's work on the development of culture, construction and beautification, as well as on the burden of the people is so vast and innumerable that it is impossible to describe all this in this short draft. Accordingly, as Amir Alisher Navai sang in his poems, the word should be shortened:

Suz mayidin olima daryoi jarf

Ilgima zavraq kibi jomi shigarf. 

(The deep ocean of word is in my front,

Holding the bottle in a boat with wonder).   

Undoubtedly, Navai's great contribution to the flourishment of science, culture, art and constructions in his time is well known. In this respect, he can be a worthy example for people of culture and politics. 

Whoever is a human being, his lover also should be a human being.

Hamid NAYERABADI,

 The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Republic of Uzbekistan