 He was born either in [[Vakhsh, Tajikistan|Wakhsh]], a village on the [[Vakhsh River]] in present-day [[Tajikistan]], or in the city of Balkh, in present-day Afghanistan.Greater Balkh was at that time a major centre of Persian culture and [[Sufism]] had developed there for several centuries.The most important influences upon Rumi, besides his father, were the Persian poets [[Attar of Nishapur|Attar]] and [[Sanai]].