Foroud & Farhad Gorginpour
📜 The Story of Gharib and Sanam
A beautiful, emotional, and shared story within the Turkic world.
The story of Gharib and Sanam is a narrative passed down among the Azerbaijani Turks and the Qashqai tribe. Both Gharib and Sanam are of Turkic origin.
Summary of the Story of Gharib and Sanam:
Gharib is a very handsome young man who inherited a great fortune from his father, but he squanders this wealth. Consequently, Gharib and his family move to the city of Tbilisi. There, Gharib meets Shah Sanam and they fall in love.
Shah Valad is Shah Sanam’s cousin and a powerful man. He strongly desires to marry Shah Sanam, but she is in love with Gharib. It proves difficult for Gharib and Shah Sanam to unite. One night, Gharib dreams of Imam Ali (AS), who tells him that if he wishes to reach Sanam, he must travel to the city of Aleppo in Shaam (Syria) for seven years.
Gharib, distressed by the thought of separation from Sanam and fearful of Shah Valad marrying her, finds the journey to Aleppo difficult. Nevertheless, he ultimately goes out of respect for the dream. Sanam gives her shawl to Gharib, and Gharib gives his ring to Sanam. Shah Valad accompanies Gharib for a short distance on his journey and attempts to drown him in the river but fails. However, he tells the people that Gharib was swept away and died.
This photo was created with artificial intelligence using the text of that same story.
For seven years, Sanam resists the pressure from elders, her mother, and others to marry Shah Valad. During these seven years, Gharib becomes wealthy in Aleppo. A few months before the seven years are over, the people and Sanam’s family try to force her to marry Shah Valad. Sanam gives her ring to a trusted person, tasking him with finding Gharib and bringing him back. That person travels for several months, finally reaching Gharib.
At this point, the seven years are complete. Gharib abandons all his property and wealth in Aleppo and returns to Tbilisi. In Tbilisi, preparations were underway for Sanam’s wedding to Shah Valad, and they were attempting to force the marriage. On the wedding day, while everything was decorated and the bride’s hair was being braided, Gharib arrives just before the ceremony. Through the sound of his flute (ney) and his singing, the people recognize Gharib, and the marriage between Sanam and Shah Valad does not take place.
