"Ali and Nino"

Some believe Kurban Said was the pen name of Essad Bey, which is actually the assumed name of Lev Nussimbaum.
Still others argue the book was written by Bey and the Baroness Elfriede Ehrenfels.
Elfriede Ehrenfels was born in 1894 into an illustrious Austrian family. She published one other novel, "The Girl from the Golden Horn," as well as articles, short stories and philosophic works on Plato.
Lev Nussimbaum was born in Baku in 1905, the son of a Jewish businessman. He later converted to Islam, reinventing himself as a man of the desert and changing his name to Essad Bey.
Its not clear if the mystery of Said’s true identity will ever be proven. But this amazing book truly belongs to a man named Said — a man who truly knew about love.

http://www.azer.com/aiweb/categories/magazine/82_folder/82_articles/82_ali_nino.html
http://www.tbilisipastimes.com/ali.html