Who Was Alive

Were Ferdowsi and Avicenna alive at the same time?

Yes. Ferdowsi and Avicenna were alive at the same time, from AD 977–983 to c. 1020.

Ferdowsi

Persian poet, author of Shahnameh

Born 3 January AD 940 · died c. 1020

Avicenna

Persian polymath, physician and philosopher

Born AD 977–983 · died 18 June 1037

Ferdowsi and Avicenna in bold, with some of their best-known contemporaries. Drag across to see the age each reached in any year. Faded ends mark uncertain dates.