In 1207, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi was born to a family of theologians.  Little is known about his life, including his mother or if he had any siblings.  It is not known when he began his interest in the arts.  At the time of his birth, his family was living in Wakhsh, Tajikistan, north of present day Afghanistan.  In 1212 they escaped Mongol invasion and went on a pilgrimage to Mecca.  Konya has been inhabited since at least 7000 BC.  When Rumi settled here Konya was part of the Seljuk Empire.  Upon reaching Konya, Anatolia, the family stayed and rebuilt their life.  Rumi's father, Bahaduddin Valad, was a theologian and mystic.  After his father's death, Rumi took his father's post as a professor.
    While in Konya, Rumi met a man by the name of Shams al Din Tabriz.  They started a very close relationship.  Rumi became inspired by Tabriz’s religious teachings and founded the Mevlevi order of Sufis.  He then began to express his feelings and beliefs through verse.  At twenty-four years of age, he was an accomplished scholar in religious sciences.  He also knew the languages of Greek, Indian, and Arabic, and interpreted the works of the major philosophers.  Soon his teachings attracted leading philosophers who came to meet him.  He became very well known and talked to audiences at the local mosques.
    The most prominent idea in Rumi's poetry is his love for God.  God influenced almost all of his work and expression.  His love for the world and God are shown through lyric poems, his speeches and music.  He wrote a six volume epic work, the “Mathnawi”, which was written to introduce his students into metaphysics.
     On the night of December 17, 1273 Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi died.  That night was named Sebul Arus or Night of Union.  Many men of various faiths were present to mourn one of the greatest poets and philosophers of that time.