Turkey commemorates 13th century poet Mevlana Rumi

KONYA, Turkey

Turkey commemorated the death of Sufi poet Mevlana Jalaluddin al-Rumi, a 13th century Sufi mystic, poet and Islamic scholar, for the 746th time this year.

Thousands of visitors came to central Anatolian province of Konya, where Rumi -- also known as Mevlana -- was buried, to honor his passing.

Konya held various commemorative events to mark Rumi’s union with God, which is called Sheb-i Arus, or the wedding night.

Centered around the theme the Time of Fidelity, this year's events took place on Dec. 7-17.

The 10-day commemoration covered over 1,300 programs including international symposiums, exhibitions, workshops,