Nizami Ganjavi was born around 1141 in Ganja, in present-day Azerbaijan. He became the greatest romantic epic poet in Persian literature, composing the Khamsa (Quintet), five long narrative poems that represent the pinnacle of Persian romantic and philosophical poetry and would influence literature across the Islamic world for centuries.

Nizami's Khamsa, particularly Layla and Majnun and Khosrow and Shirin, established definitive versions of beloved romantic stories and perfected the masnavi (rhyming couplet) form for narrative poetry. His intricate symbolism, psychological depth, and philosophical sophistication set new standards for Persian poetry, influencing countless later poets from Amir Khusrau to Jami. His works were translated and adapted into Turkish, Urdu, Kurdish, and other languages, spreading Persian poetic aesthetics throughout Islamic Eurasia.