Shams and Rumi Festival Opens in Khoy
TEHRAN. (Iranart) – The 2nd National Festival of Shams and Molana opened on Thursday in the northwestern Iranian city of Khoy, which is home to the tomb of Shams, the mentor of the Persian mystic and poet Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi.
The festival is being held in the three categories of poetry, music and typography.
The poetry section was held on Thursday and Friday while the typography section will continue until August 22.
The music section will open today and 12 top ensembles from different Iranian cities will be performing for three days.
The winners of each section will be announced during the closing ceremony of the festival on August 22.
Rumi (1207-1273) undertook one or two journeys to Syria, during one of which he met the dervish Shams.
However, he was deeply influenced by Shams during their second visit in Konya on November 30, 1244.
For months, the two men constantly interacted, and as a result, Rumi neglected his disciples and family, who could not tolerate the close relationship.
One night in 1247, Shams disappeared forever. This experience turned Rumi into a poet. The Divan of Shams is a true translation of his experiences into poetry.
Source: Tehran Times