Passionate mystic and lyrical poet Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi was
born the son of a religious teacher in what is now Afghanistan
(1207-1273). In 1220, he and his family escaped from Genghis
Khan's Mongol invasion, fleeing to Turkey. "The only lasting
beauty is the beauty of the heart," he said. His philosophy,
considered an eloquent influence of the Muslim East and
Christian West, speaks across all cultures and traditions.
According to legend, young Rumi was given the Book of Secrets by
the famous old poet Attar, then further inspired by a chance
meeting with the wandering Sufi mystic Shams ed-Din Tabrizi.
"Love is the energizing elixir of the universe, the cause and
effect of all harmonies," Rumi believed. He said music and dance
led to God and paradise. A Muslim cleric, he founded his own
religious order, the Mevlevi, or dancing dervishes, a leading
mystical brotherhood of Islam. His shrine, the Green Tomb, still
stands in Konya. The main theme of Rumi's writing celebrated
love, what he considered the true mov