THE SYMBOLISM OF BAHRAM GOR‟S DRAGON-SLAYING IN HAFT PEYKAR AND THE STORY‟S REFLECTION IN KAMĀL UD-DĪN BEHZĀD‟S PAINTINGS

Abstract

Haft Peykar is One of Nezami Ganjavi‟s most prominent works. It is a symbolic one and each of its stories and scenes can be interpreted and deciphered in different ways. One of the most important stories among them is Bahram Gor‟s dragon-slaying, which has a considerable presence in Iranian visual arts, including painting. The present research aims to study and decipher the symbols used in this mysterious story, as we believe there are still ambiguous points that can be clarified through more accurate studies. To find them, the following questions have been raised: What are the secrets and mysteries behind the story of Bahram Gor‟s dragon-slaying? What are the characteristics of the reflection of Bahram Gor's dragonslaying story in Iranian painting? The illustration of Bahram Gor's dragon-slaying story is consistent with the poetry images in Haft Peykar, but it seems that the symbols and mysteries that lie in the hidden layers of this story are not found in the paintings drawn according to this story.