Eurasia’s leading telecoms investor, Altimo, which has a 13.2% interest in the Turkish telecoms operator Turkcell, has provided general sponsorship of an exhibition dedicated to the famous medieval poet, Mevlana.

On the 800th anniversary of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi’s birth (1207 - 1273), Altimo joins UNESCO in celebration of the greatest mystical poet in Islamic history and commemorates this event through “Sovereignty of Dervishes, Dervishes of Sovereignty: The Mevlevi Order in Istanbul”. In the “Year of Rumi,” the exhibition is brought to visitors from the local area and abroad.

The exhibition, which takes place at Pera Museum opened on November 14, 2007 will run until March 30, 2008. The exhibition, which will showcase artifacts that trace the 800 year old story of Mevlana and his culture, aims to tell the story of Mevlana Culture, its effects on people and its importance in history. These artifacts will be drawn from different kinds of art, including music, literature and calligraphy.

A mystical institution of medieval Islam at the end of 13th century with respect to its social and cultural roots, the Mevlevi Order, assumes its unique place in the world due to Istanbul’s close interaction with the Renaissance in Europe and embarks upon a journey that leads from Konya to Istanbul, upon Sultan Mehmed II’s conquest of the latter. As part of the historical continuum that lasts for centuries, the Mevlevi Order is transformed from an Eastern mentality to becoming the epitome of an intellectual and spiritual bridge between the East and the West.  Following the inauguration of Galata Mevlevi Lodge in 1491, although the Order finds the opportunity to expand into the Balkan and Mediterranean geography, the Mevlevi sheikh families of Ýstanbul lay the foundations of the Ýstanbul Mevlevi Order as of the mid-17th century.

The Mevlevi Order of Istanbul assumes a significant political role in history, in the extent to which it shapes the cultural realm of the Ottoman world. The Order’s cultural production, which ranges from music to calligraphy and from literature to architecture, is not only an intellectual and a spiritual bridge between the East and the West, but also entails a profound and elaborate philosophy that requires careful study and research.

Representing the chivalry of word, the universality of heart, and the sanctity of spirit, the Mevlevis of Istanbul weave the Mevlevi symbolism, which has been shaped in the medieval mystical culture of Islam, into the texture of daily life. In an effort to give spirit to matter, these unqiue men are the architects of a vast cultural spectrum that ranges from clothing to ordinary objects and from works of art to colloquial language,  Altimo generally shares Mevlana Philosophy. While launching the exhibition vice-president of Altimo Kirill Babaev said:

“With respect to the globalization of communication and the appreciation of cultural interaction, the Mevlana philosophy has a unique place in the world. After 800 years, Mevlana’s ideas on cooperation and tolerance are more accessible than ever to people of different racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds through modern means of communication. ”

Among the 76 original works selected from the collections of Sadberk Hanim Museum, Sakip Sabanci Museum, Suleymaniye Library, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Yildiz City Museum, Galeri Alfa, Suna and Inan Kirac, Baki Baykara, Aice Yetickin Kubilay, M. Baha Tanman, Ekrem Icin and Emin Barin, are priceless levhas (panels), sikkes (dervish caps), notebooks and semazen (whirling dervish) attire.