Tehran Times Culture Desk

TEHRAN -- An international congress commemorating the 800th birth anniversary of Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi was inaugurated at the IRIB International Conference Hall in Tehran on Sunday.

The ceremony opened with a speech delivered by President Mahmud Ahmadinejad followed by an address from the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Hossein Saffar Harandi.

“Wisdom and Philosophy”, “Rumi and the Contemporary World”, “Mysticism and Religion”, “Art and Aesthetics” and “Language and Literature” are among the topics on the agenda for the two-day congress.

Scholars from many countries including Germany, Canada, India, Japan, Russia, and France are taking part in the event.

Chinese scholar Mu-hong Yan is slated to deliver lectures on the theme of pacifism as depicted in Rumi’s masterpiece, the Masnavi.

The son of Pakistani poet and philosopher Muhammad Iqbal Lahori, Javid Iqbal, will also be speaking during the program.

Five Iranian and three foreign Rumi experts are scheduled to be honored during the congress’s final session.

Tabriz will be hosting the congress on Tuesday and Wednesday before it culminates in the city of Khoy on Thursday.

In addition, Tehran has held other ceremonies in commemoration of Rumi.

The United Nations and Tehran’s Niavaran Cultural Center held a ceremony named “A Night with Molana Rumi” on Saturday.

Representatives of the United Nations and UNESCO paid tribute to Ahmad Jalali, Iran’s former UNESCO ambassador in Paris. Jalali recently received the Rumi Medal for the effort he has made to introduce the world to the thoughts and beliefs of Rumi.

-------We are delighted that the world has joined Iran in celebrating the year of Rumi: Culture Minister

Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Hossein Saffar Harandi expressed his happiness over the hosting of the international Rumi congress in Iran.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the congress, he said, “We are delighted that the world is celebrating the year of Rumi with Iran and the Iranian nation.”

He noted that Iranian people always live with the poetry of Molana and therefore holding such commemoration ceremonies is a very natural phenomenon.

---------Intl. Shams of Tabriz convention opens in Khoy

The International Shams of Tabriz convention opened in Khoy on Saturday.

Several experts on Rumi and Shams are to make speeches during the event which will end concurrently with the last day of the Rumi congress in Khoy.

The convention has been organized to introduce Khoy as the resting place of Shams.

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

Rumi’s love for him and his bereavement at his death found expression in an outpouring of music, dance, and lyrical poetry.

----------Bust of Shams unveiled near his tomb

Concurrently with the convention underway in Khoy a bust of Shams, set up near his tomb, was unveiled in the presence of officials from Khoy and West Azarbaijan.

The tomb of Shams is in the form of a 12-meter high cylindrical tower. The monument was erected by Shah-Esmaeil in the Safavid era.

----------Tomb of Shams strewn with flowers

The tomb of Shams was strewn with flowers by officials and guests at the international Khoy convention.

They paid tribute to Shams and requests were made for a magnificent mausoleum to be constructed at his tomb.

The congress on Rumi and the Shams convention will come to an end on Thursday in Khoy