... It is the story of Bahram V, the Sassanian king, who is born to Yazdgerd after twenty years of childlessness and supplication to Ahura Mazda for a child. Following the advice of his astrologers, once born Bahram, as dear to Yazdgerd as his most cherished treasures, is sent to King Nu'man of Yemen to be educated in the manner of kings.

Recognizing that the climate of Yemen is not fit for the Persian prince, Nu'man seeks the assistance of the Byzantine architect and designer, Semnar (Senemmar), to build Bahram an extraordinary castle. When after five years the Khwarnaq (Khornagh) castle is completed, Nu'man inspects it and asks Semnar if he can build a castle even better than Khwarnaq. Semnar answers in the positive. Fearing that Semnar might place his dexterity at the service of other kings who might build castles that outshine Khwarnaq, he orders Semnar to be thrown from the fortification tower. Semnar is killed. As for Nu'man himself, having seen to the construction of the most beautiful castle in the middle of a meadow surrounded by roses and tulips, one day he wanders into the desert and, like the legendary Kaykhusrau, disappears into thin air.

After many days and nights of mourning, Monzer, Nu'man's son, ascends the throne of Yemen. Bahram and Monzer's son, also called Nu'man, grow up together in the beautiful Khwarnaq castle. Together they learn Arabic, Persian, and Greek as well astrology and philosophy. They are trained in the art of war, the manners of kings, and the intricacies of the hunt.

In Khwarnaq, Bahram is acquainted with every room but one. One day, returning from the hunt, he orders the chamberlain to open the door to that particular room. Upon entering, he finds himself surrounded by the most exquisite walls, decorated by portraits of seven women all depicted in the state of gazing at a man. He views each portrait for a while and falls in love with the woman it depicts. He falls in love with all the women adorning the walls of the room: Furak (Nurak), the daughter of the Rajah of India, as beautiful as the moon; Yaghma Naz, the daughter of the Khaqan of the Turks; Naz Pari, the daughter of the king of Khwarazm; Nasrin Nush, the daughter of the king of the Slavs; Azarbin (Azareyon), the daughter of the king of Morocco; Humay, the daughter of the Roman Caesar; and Diroste, a beautiful Iranian princess from the House of Kay Ka'us. At the end, he turns to the portrait of the man only to find that it depicts himself. Beneath the portrait an inscription informs that, as king, he would marry all those seven beauties in real life.

Having viewed this scene, Bahram orders the door to be locked again and leaves instructions for it not to be opened under penalty of death. Only he himself, during moments of depression, enters the room and amuses himself with the fantastic thoughts of the future that awaits him.

Bahram, however, was not the sole claimant to the throne of Persia. His brother rivaled him in every way. After Bahram's return from Yemen, to determine who of the two would be the future king, a contest was arranged; whoever captures the crown from between its two guarding lions would automatically be recognized as king. Bahram kills the lions and captures the crown before his brother has a chance to approach the lions. Bahram knew that he would not be able to attain the pleasure of the company of the seven princesses awaiting his royal presence, if he were to lose the contest.

As king, Bahram dispatches messengers to China, India, Morocco, Byzantium, Russia, Khwarazm and to far-off regions of Persia and, by persuasion, threat, and war secures the hands of the princesses he had been dreaming of spending the rest of his life with. He is so certain of attaining his wishes that he commissions his best architect and designer, Shideh, to build a palace for each princess, a palace that would reflect at once the color of the clime from which each princess comes, the planet that controls her destiny, and the day of the week that she would be visited by the king.

Nizami's "Seven Beauties" is an account of Bahram's visits to each individual pavilion. The stories, narrated by each queen, are told in the tradition of Shahrzad of the famed "A Thousand and One Nights" ...

Bahram V, was the Sassanian fifteenth king. He was living in pleasure but also was just and chivalric. Two war happend during his reign era (AD 420-438), One with Rome in AD 422 and other with Huns in AD 427. He defeated all enemies and when died in AD 438, Iran was so powerful. He is known as Bahram-e Goor, because of his interest to onager (Goor) hunting.

His interesting life, was a good motive for Iranian great poets, like Ferdousi and Nezami, to narrate it in their poems as The Adventures Of Bahram-e-Goor. The Seven Beauties (Haft Paykar) is one of the most famous romantic versified stories about Bahram's life, versed by Nezami in AH 593. This book is also known as : The Seven Pavilions, The Seven Domes (Haft Gonbad), "Haft Manzar" and "Bahram-Nameh".

Nezami Ganjavi, one of Iran's greatest romantic epic poets, was born some time around AH 534-540, in Ganjeh, during the era of the Seljuk Empire, and died there around AH 599-602.

In preface of Seven Beauties, Nezami has versed one of his famous popular distiches :

همه عالم تنست و ايران دل          نيست گوينده زين قياس خجل

چونکه ايران دل زمين باشد          دل ز تن به بود يقين باشد

" All the world is a body and IRAN is the heart of this body. Because IRAN is the heart of the earth, the heart is better than the body certainly."

Here is a short view to the Haft Paykar story by Mr. Iraj Bashiri :