Ali ibn Yusuf al-Ilaqi, 11th century Persian physician from Khorasan, Avicenna's direct student, worked in Balkh Al-Isfizari, 12th century, mathematician from Khorasan, worked in Balkh Ibn Balkhi, a conventional name for a 12th-century Iranian historian and author of the Persian book Fārs-Nāma Rulers and emperors Vishtaspa, ancient king of Balkh and early follower of Zoroaster, and his patron Khalid ibn Barmak, 8th century wazir of the Abbasid Caliphate and member of the prominent Barmakid family Saman Khuda, progenitor of the Samanids and founder of the Samaind dynasty was born in Saman a village near Balkh Sabuktigin, founder of the Ghaznavid dynasty, died in Balkh Timur, Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire, crowned in Balkh Religious figures Zoroaster. some scholars like Rodney Young say that balkh was traditionally the home of Zoroaster Muqatil ibn Sulayman Al-Balkhi, 8th-century story teller of the Quran, wrote one of the earliest, if not first, commentaries (tafsir) of the Qur'an Ibrahim ibn Adham Balkhi, 8th century Sufi saint and reputedly ruler of Balkh, one of the most prominent of the early ascetic Sufi saints. Hiwi al-Balkhi, 9th century Bukharan Jewish exegete and Biblical critic Shahid Balkhi 10th century Persian theologian, philosopher, poet and sufi Abdullah, father of Avicenna and respected Ismaili scholar also known as Baha al-Din Walad, father of Rumi (Balkhi) and respected theologian, jurist and mystic from Balkh See also References Further reading Published in the 19th century Published in the 21st century External links The Balkh Art and Cultural Heritage Project housed at the Oriental Institute at the University of Oxford Mazar-i-Sharif (Balkh) Explore Balkh with Google Earth on Global Heritage Network Indigenous Indian civilization prevailed in Balkh, Afghanistan till the second half of tenth century AD Balkh Populated places established in the 2nd millennium BC Populated places in Balkh Province Populated places along the Silk Road Former populated places in Afghanistan Ancient Iranian cities Districts of Balkh Province Buddhism in Afghanistan Places in Shahnameh