Abstract
This presentation focuses on the use of verse from or inspired by Ferdowsi's Shāhnāme in the epigraphic decoration of buildings erected in the Persian-speaking world between the 11th and 13thcenturies CE. First, we look at the phenomenon of "fictitious genealogies" aimed at linking the early Muslim dynasties of Iran to the heroes and rulers of the Iranian epic tradition. We also focus on the question of the Shāhnāme's reception, evoking the debate surrounding the poem's initial discredit. Some poetic fragments inscribed in the royal palace of Ghazni (Afghanistan, early 12thcentury ) already hint at echoes of the Shāhnāme, which can be discerned in choices of prosodic form and certain rhymes and turns of phrase. However, it's not until the early 13thcentury that we come across explicit references to Ferdowsi's epic in monumental epigraphy. At this time, the Seljuks of Rūm seized several Anatolian cities and had verses inscribed on their ramparts, drawing a parallel between these new conquerors and the most famous monarchs of ancient Iran. A comparable phenomenon of appropriation took place among the Ilkhanid Mongols, as shown by the numerous quotations from the Shāhnāme inscribed on the ceramic tiles adorning the palace of these sovereigns at Takht-e Soleymān (Iran). The testimonies mentioned reveal that the first versions of the Shāhnāme in epigraphy do not correspond to simple quotations: Ferdowsi's verses are rarely transcribed as we know them today, but seem to have undergone adaptations or additions conceived by the calligraphers or their patrons. The Iranian epic is thus updated and invested with a new legitimizing function or an explicit moralizing purpose.
