TEHRAN – A number of Iranian and foreign scholars and experts on Rumi gathered in Tehran and Shiraz on Thursday to mark the Rumi National Day.

Literati from the Persian-speaking nations and some other countries attended the Fourth International Conference on Rumi in Tehran to commemorate the Persian mystic and poet Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi (1207-1273).

The ceremony, which took place at the Shahid Beheshti University International Conference Center, began with short speeches delivered by secretary of the event Hossein Baher and Rumi expert Feizollah Tohidi, followed by honoring the Iranian literati and artists who have created works on Rumi.

Scholar Heshmatollah Riyazi was honored in the section of studies on Rumi, while Feizollah Tohidi was honored in the research section.

The other honorees include Mostafa Badkubei (literature and poetry), Mohammadreza Shajarian (art of music) and Reza Badrossama (calligraphy and painting).

Composer Loris Tjeknavorian, author Akram Jahangir and Serat Publications were among other honorees.

Turkish Rumi experts Adnan Karaismailoglu and Erdogan Erol were also among the invited guests at the conference.

In addition, the Mausoleum of Hafez in Shiraz hosted devotees of Rumi who gathered to observe Rumi National Day. They also commemorated Hafez National Day on the sidelines.

Hafez National Day will be October 11 but the celebration was hastened due to the fact that this year, the day falls during the Muharram mourning season.

Moreover, the International Congress of Shams-i Tabrizi ran from September 25 to 28 in the city of Khoy where lies the tomb of Shams, the wandering sage who later became the mentor of Rumi.

Rumi’s 22nd niece Esin Çelebi who is also the deputy director of Turkey’s International Mevlana Foundation, attended the congress.

Veteran director Pari Saberi, who was also among the guests, remarked that she would like to restage in Khoy “The Flying Shams”, her vibrant story of Rumi’s first encounter with his mentor Shams, if support by officials can be obtained.

RM/YAW