DID YOU KNOW? 💡 The name “Badakhshan” derives from the Middle Persian word badaxš. The suffix -ān means the region belonged to someone with the title badaxš. Sassanid manuscripts found in Ka’ba-ye Zartosht referred to it as “Bałasakan.” Badakhshan is a historical region spanning northeastern Afghanistan, eastern Tajikistan, and bordering districts of northern Pakistan and northwestern China. This mountainous region was historically significant due to its position as a key transit point for trade between China and western Eurasia, as well as for its gem mines. Nasir Khusraw, one of the foremost poets of the Persian language, was born in 1004 in Khurasan. He rose to prominence in the courts of the Ghaznavids and the Saljuqs. Amidst this overwhelming pomp and luxury, he began to question his surroundings and search for a truth that would transcend life’s outward form. Returning home, Nasir Khusraw encountered severe persecution from anti-Ismaili religious scholars, compelling him to s...