Born in Afghanistan in the thirteenth century, Rumi settled in Turkey

and became a great mystical poet. Although he began his adult life

as a highly respected scholar, he found his true calling after being

mentored by a holy man, Shamsuddin. From "Shams," he learned to listen

for the sacred sound of God within himself. When his creative spirit was

awakened, he recited more than 50,000 rhymed couplets. He also wrote

about the love that resides in the soul of everyone regardless of religion or

background. He founded the order of the whirling dervishes who believed

their spinning dances put them in touch with God and brought peace and

love into the world. Although Rumi died 800 years ago, his poems are more

widely read now than ever before. To honor the 800th anniversary of his

birth, the United Nations declared 2007 The Year of Mawlana Jalaladdin

Rumi.