It is a massive book - twice as long as the Iliad and Odyssey put together.
It ends with the fall of the Persian empire at the hands of the Arabs and Turks.
1,000 years after the poet Ferdowsi, who dedicated his life to crafting its 60,000 verses, completed his story, it is remembered as one of the greatest works of Persian literature.
Epic artwork of the Persian Book of Kings
The Shahnameh tells the Iranian version of the history of the world
The legendary shah, Key Kavus, on his flying throne
The warrior Rostam, in red, is one of the most popular characters
In Persian literature it's a given that the Shahnameh - Book of Kings - is a timeless classic; In the West however the work is probably less well-known now than in Victorian times.
The work was completed exactly 1,000 years ago by the Persian poet Ferdowsi, who dedicated his life to crafting its 60,000 verses.
1,000 years after he completed his story, it is remembered as one of the great works of Persian literature.
The Epic of the Persian Kings exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge runs until 9 January 2011.
The earliest paintings on show are from the 1300s and they finally peter out in the mid-19th Century, meaning the tradition of hand-illustrating books in this extravagant way survived in Persia for some three centuries after it ended in Europe.
Each of the illustrations in Cambridge shows a scene from the Shahnameh - military or amorous or fantastical. Exploits of kings feature strongly.
Part of the Shahnameh's significance is that Persian-speakers can read it today as people did a millennium ago and encounter few problems.
The work became popular only after his death.
It is a massive book - twice as long as the Iliad and Odyssey put together.
It ends with the fall of the Persian empire at the hands of the Arabs and Turks.
Read more at www.bbc.co.uk
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