TEHRAN – A weeklong national conference on Shams-i Tabrizi, the wandering sage who later became the mentor of Persian mystic and poet Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi, opened in Khoy on Thursday.

A number of literati, scholars and experts on Shams and Rumi attended the opening ceremony in the northwestern Iranian city, which is home the tomb of Shams-i Tabrizi.

Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Ali Jannati is scheduled to attend the closing ceremony on September 30, which is the birthday of Rumi, Hossein Sivani-asl, the governor of Khoy, said in press release on Wednesday.

Speaking on Shams-i Tabrizi’s role in the development of Persian literature, Sivani-asl expressed his hope that literati, academics and mass media would help introduce his works worldwide.

Many other programs including art exhibitions, live musical performances and literary meetings have been arranged for the conference.

Born in the city of Tabriz, Shams lived together with Rumi in Konya for several years, and has been immortalized in Rumi’s collection of poetry named the “Divan of Shams ad-Din of Tabriz”.

AFM/YAW
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