Rumi died on 17 December 1273 in Konya, aged 66. A Persian poet and Sufi mystic, Rumi was born in the region of Balkh, in present-day Afghanistan, and fled westward with his family before the Mongol invasions, eventually settling in Konya in Anatolia. There he became a respected religious teacher, until a meeting in 1244 with the wandering dervish Shams of Tabriz changed his life. After Shams disappeared, Rumi poured his grief and spiritual longing into lyric poetry, collected in the Divan of Shams, and into the Masnavi, a long didactic poem. His followers formed the Mevlevi order, known for its whirling dance. He is one of the most widely read poets in the world today and is buried in Konya.
Before and after
- from 1271 to 1295Marco Polo sets out for China
- from 3 March 1271 to 8 April 1271Fall of Krak des Chevaliers
- from 1272 to 1278War of the Cow
- 1272Rise of House of Bourbon
- 17 December 1273Death of Rumi
- 1274Mongol invasions of Japan
- 7 March 1274Death of Thomas Aquinas
- 1275Construction of Reims Cathedral
- c. 1275Construction of the Hofburg Palace
More in Art, literature & culture
- from 1000 to 1200Rise of Romanesque art
- c. 1010sMurasaki Shikibu writes The Tale of Genji
- July 1054East-West Schism
- from 11th century to 14th centuryOrigins of Catharism
- 1400Rise of Renaissance music
- c. 1490sThe Last Supper
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 13th century.