Nasreddin

Nasreddin (Turkish: Nasreddin Hoca, Ottoman Turkish: نصر الدين خواجه, Persian: خواجه نصرالدین‎, Pashto: ملا نصرالدین‎, Arabic: نصرالدین جحا‎ / ALA-LC: Naṣraddīn Juḥā, Urdu: ملا نصرالدین ‎, Uzbek: Nosiriddin Xo'ja, Nasreddīn Hodja, Bosnian: Nasrudin Hodža) was a Seljuq satirical Sufi, believed to have lived and died during the 13th century in Akshehir, near Konya, a capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, in today's Turkey. He is considered a populist philosopher and wise man, remembered for his funny stories and anecdotes. He appears in thousands of stories, sometimes witty, sometimes wise, but often, too, a fool or the butt of a joke. A Nasreddin story usually has a subtle humour and a pedagogic nature. The International Nasreddin Hodja fest is celebrated between 5–10 July in his hometown every year.