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Art of miniature

The fine painting that adorned manuscripts, with the Tabriz school among its summits; multinational UNESCO heritage since 2020.

Miniature from a Fuzuli manuscript
Muhammed Fuzuli / Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Miniatures are small, fine paintings made in the Middle Ages to illuminate manuscripts such as Nizami's Khamsa and Fuzuli's divan, worked in natural pigments and gold.

The Tabriz school reached its height in the 15th–16th centuries, when masters such as Sultan Muhammad and Mir Musavvir created masterpieces under Shah Ismail and Shah Tahmasp.

The "Art of miniature" was inscribed on UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 2020 on a joint nomination by Azerbaijan, Iran, Türkiye and Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijani artists continue it in a contemporary style.

Sources

  1. UNESCO Intangible Heritage — Art of miniature
  2. Wikipedia

Updated: October 1, 2026

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