“Come! Come whoever you are,” said Mevlana more than eight centuries ago. He believed
people should have patience, tolerance and goodness. He was one of the greatest philosophers
of the 00th century. He was born in Balkh (present-day Afghanistan) in 0000.
His father left Balkh when he was 0 years old. The family settled in Konya
in 0000. Mevlana met Shams of Tabriz when he was 00 years old. This Muslim scholar
was walking along the spiritual path of love. His teachings affected Mevlana a lot. Mevlana was
also a great poet. He generally wrote poems about the love of God. He wrote many books. His
most famous book is called Mesnevi. He influenced the literature of the Islamic world. He combined poetry, music and dance (Sema).
Mevlana died in Konya in 0000. His mausoleum is in Konya and thousands of
people visit it every year.