During the Samanid era (874-998 A.C) and the Ghaznavid dinasty, the courts were graced wih the genius of the world famous poet Ferdowsi, born in the province of Khurasan.

Ferdowsi undertook the great task of composing in verse the story of lives of the kings and heroes of ancient Iran, a work that took thirty hard years to accomplish. This was the famous Shah-nameh or Book of kings, the iranian epic, and one of the masterpieces of world literature.

Ferdowsi, already old and feeble, intended to dedicate it to Sultan Mahmud, at the height of his power and fame, but unfortunately the sultan did not like the constant praise of courage, greatness and chivalry of Iranian kings and heroes inside the Ferdowsi book. So the old poet disappointed left the court and returned to his village. The legend says that later the sultan regretted disappointing the poet and sent him 60.000 dinars by royal caravan. But when the caravan was entering the village of Tus, by the Rudbar gate, Ferdowsi body was being carried out to the cemetery by the Rizan gate.