Tunisian director Shawqi al Majeri has chosen Syrian actor Jihad Saad to play the role of Omar al Khayyam and Syrian actress Saba Mubarak to play his beloved Yasmin’s role in the TV series depicting the life history of the famed poet, according to the daily al Hayat.
The series screenwriter Ghassan Jbae’i has based on around 50 references which depict the life of the controversial figure, mainly Amin Maalouf’s novel Samarkand, in addition to Ruba’iyyat al Khayyam and biographical books which shed lights on the time period in which Khayyam lived.
Al Majeri is going to start filming the series in the second part of May, in several countries: Azerbaijan, Kazakhistan, Iran, Iraq and Syria.
The 30-episode series is produced by al Sham International for TV and Cinema Production.
The TV series not only deals with the life of the famed Arab figure, but also sheds light on the time period in which Khayyam lived. The producers aim to give the audience a closer look at Islam and the Arab world during the middle ages period, while tracing the events of Khayyam's life.
Khayyam's poetry has been translated into several languages, and is most famous for its embodiment of themes such as life, love and beauty. The middle ages figure, Khayyam, studied philosophy, and later on in life went to become a much-esteemed mathematician and astronomer.
Khayyam's work has been made famous in English language through the translations of Edward Fitzgerald, and has also been translated into other languages and studied by scholars the world over. One of his most accomplished works is Rubaiyyat al Khayyam which has been immortalized into song by Umm Kalthoum, and are still popular today among lovers of poetry, literature critics, those who study eastern philosophy, middle ages historians, and simply those who are passionate about life and love – Albawaba.com
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