Key Aspects of Rumi's Life and Work:
1. Early Life
- Rumi was born in 1207 in Balkh (in present-day Afghanistan) or Wakhsh (in present-day Tajikistan), in the region of Greater Khorasan, which was part of the Persian Empire at the time.
- His family fled the Mongol invasions and eventually settled in Konya (in present-day Turkey), which was then part of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum—hence his name "Rumi," meaning "from Rum."
2. Spiritual Journey
- Rumi was a devout Muslim and a respected Islamic scholar. His life took a transformative turn when he met the wandering dervish Shams-i Tabrîzî (Shams of Tabriz), who became his spiritual mentor and close friend.
- Shams' influence led Rumi to delve deeply into Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, and to express his spiritual experiences through poetry and dance.
Episode 9
