Saadi Shirazi, also known simply as Saadi, was a 13th-century poet, moralist, and traveler whose works have had a lasting influence across the Islamic world and beyond.
His mausoleum, originally built in the 13th century and reconstructed in its current form in the 20th century, is surrounded by traditional Persian gardens and a reflecting pool.
Saadi's literary legacy is best known through two major works: Bostan (The Orchard) and Golestan (The Rose Garden). These texts combine prose and poetry to convey moral lessons, social commentary, and reflections on human behavior. Deeply rooted in Islamic ethics, his writings often draw from the Quran and Hadith, emphasizing compassion, justice, humility, and the unity of mankind.
One of his most cited verses, “Human beings are members of a whole, in creation of one essence and soul,” is inscribed at the United Nations headquarters in New York as a universal message of solidarity.