Ceremonies and activities marking the 736^th anniversary of Hazrat Mevlâna Muhammed Jalaladdin Rumi (k.s) commenced with the “Mevlana Tolerance and Love Walk” .

Ceremonies marking the 736^th anniversary of Hz. Mevlana Muhammed Jalaladdin Rumi (k.s) began in Konya on Monday. The program commenced with a "Mevlana Tolerance and Love Walk" which started at Zafer public square and ended in front of Konya’s city hall. The walk was accompanied by the Istanbul Historical Music Ensemble’s Ottoman Military Music "Mehter" Group and The Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Konya Tasawwuf Music Ensemble. The “Mehter” group also gave a small concert.

 After a concert which was given by the Ottoman military band in front of the Konya Province building at the end of the walk, the group then departed, joined by many other spectators, and continued to the Mevlâna Museum.

The Governor of Konya (Ayd?n Nezih Do?an), the Mayor of Konya (Tahir Akyurek), AKP parliament members (Mustafa Kabakç?, Ay?e Türkmeno?lu and Orhan Erdem ), the 22nd generation descendant of Hz. Mevlana (Esin Çelebi Bayru), and many foreign guests and local citizens participated in the walk. The Ministry of Culture’s “Istanbul Historical Music Ensemble – Ottoman Military Band” accompanied the march which was led by the Semazens.

The protocol members and the citizens gathered in front of the museum and later nearby Hazrat Mevlâna’s mausoleum, and offered their prayers to him. Next, the children semazens performed the whirling prayer ceremony with the Segah Maye Niyaz ilahî in the Semahane Section of the Museum. Afterwards, the opening day festivities came to an end with Postni?in Mustafa Holat’s Gülbank prayer.