PARIS, Sept 3 (KUNA) -- An international seminar, exhibition, and demonstration of Sufi dancing will be held here on Thursday in celebration of the 800th anniversary of the birth of poet, philosopher, and spiritual leader Jalal-ud-Din Balkhi-Rumi, UNESCO announced Monday.
A statement for the organization said that the Director-General of UNESCO, Koichiro Matsuura, will inaugurate the celebrations, which are being organized with the cooperation of Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey.
The seminar will bring together eminent scholars and philosophers from these three UNESCO member states along with other international experts to discuss various themes relating to the thought, message, and universality of Jalal-ud-Din Balkhi-Rumi.
An exhibition of books, manuscripts, and paintings relating to Jalal-ud-Din Balkhi-Rumi and his works will also be opened, in addition to a performance of Sufi dancing by troupes from the three countries.
Jalal-ud-Din Balkhi-Rumi, author of the renowned Mathnawi or "Rhyming Couplets", was born in 1207 in Balkh, now Afghanistan. After being exiled, he spent most of his life in Konya, which is now southeastern Turkey.
He is considered one of the greatest Sufi masters, a peer of the well known Ibn Arabi and Shams-e Tabrizi.
The UNESCO indicated that it will also celebrate the event by issuing a commemorative medal in honor of Jalal-ud-Din Balkhi-Rumi.(end) si.wsa KUNA 031327 Sep 07NNNN