Jalaleddin Rumi was one of the great spiritual masters and poetic geniuses of mankind, and the Mevlevi Sufi order was founded to follow his teachings. He was born in 1207 in Balkh in present day Afghanistan to a family of learned theologians. Escaping the Mongol invasion, he and his family traveled extensively in Muslim lands, performed pilgrimage to Mecca and visited Medina;
the journey brought the family to Erzincan and then Karaman, where Rumi studied for a short period in the Halaveye School. In 1228, at the invitation of the Sultan of the Seljuks, Alaeddin Keykubad, they settled in Konya,
Anatolia, in present day Turkey, then part of the Seljuk Empire. Here Jalaleddin married and lived with his wife, Gevher Hatun, who bore him two children. He is called ‘Rumi,’ meaning ‘Anatolian’ because of his life in that place. He also gained the title Mevlana which means ‘Our Master’ through his life’s work there.
Rumi’s tomb in Konya, Turkey.When his father Bahauddin Veled passed away in 1231, Rumi succeeded him as professor in religious sciences at the largest theological school in Konya. Only 24 years old, Rumi was already an accomplished scholar in religious and positive sciences.
He died on the 17th of December 1273 in Konya, where he had spent most of his adult life and composed all his works, and where his tomb lies today.
