Rudaki/رودکی

I always think of my favorite Persian verses by Rudaki (d. 941 CE) when I’m strolling down Rudaki Prospekt–the bustling boulevard named after the poet in Dushanbe. When I was living in Tajikistan, I spent a lot of time doing research at the Yaqub Charkhi Mosque, which is accessed from Rudaki Prospekt–and named after a beloved Sufi sheikh…

Knowledge in the heart is a bright lamp
And a shield for your body from everything bad…

— Rudaki