Athir al-Din Akhsikati | |
|---|---|
 A 16th-century page of calligraphy from an album. The poetry in the lateral panels is by Athir al-Din Akhsikati and Mohtasham Kashani | |
| Born | 1126–28 Akhsikath, Kara-Khanid Khanate |
| Died | 1211/12 (aged 83–86) Khalkhal, Eldiguzid atabegate |
| Notable works | Divan of Athir al-Din Akhsikati |
Athir al-Din Akhsikati (Persian: اثیرالدین اخسیکتی; 1126–28 – 1211/12) was an Iranian writer, whose ghazals in Persian played an important role in the development of the genre.
A native of Akhsikath in Central Asia, Athir al-Din first started his career at the court of Herat, under the service of the Seljuk sultan Ahmad Sanjar (r. 1118–1157). Following the latter's death, Athir al-Din went to western Iran, where he stayed at the courts of Hamadan and Tabriz. During this period he is known to have served under the Seljuk sultans of Persian Iraq, the Eldiguzids, and a local dynast, Ala al-Dawla Fakhr al-Din Arab Shah.
Athir al-Din spent his last years in the town of Khalkhal, where he chose to live in poverty and in search for spiritual knowledge. It was there that he died in 1211 or 1212.