Introducing Epic of the Persian Kings

1000 years ago in Persia the world’s longest poem was written: the Shahnameh, or 'Book of Kings'. This epic inspired some of the most exquisite manuscript art ever produced - miniature masterpieces that are on show at the Fitzwilliam Museum in the exhibition Epic of the Persian Kings: The Art of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh (11 September 2010 – 9 January 2011).

In this podcast, Charles Melville (Professor of Persian History at the University of Cambridge) explores why the Shahnameh is still so important, and why its fantastical stories have endured over a milennium.