Ateshbaz i-Veli

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Ateshbaz i-Veli ( 13th century ) was the personal cook of Mevlana Jalal ad-Din Rumi , the famous Islamic mystic and founder of the Mevlevi - Tariqa , a Sufi order . He served under three sheikhs , Rumi's father, under him personally and Rumi's son, Sultan Walad . He is buried in Rumi's mausoleum in Konya .

According to a Mevlevi legend, Ateshbaz once prepared a dish for his master, but the meat was still tough when the firewood ran out. So the cook prayed to God for mercy and a miracle and stuck his left big toe into the embers. It flared up again, the meat continued to cook and soon a delicious smell spread that lured Mevlana into the kitchen. When the cook saw his master, his concentration and trust in God waned for a moment and an overwhelming pain passed through him. So he hastily pulled his foot out of the fire and covered his burned toe with that of his right foot. Since then - so the legend goes - the Mevlevi dervishes have covered their left toe with their right toes during their sema (the circling dance) - to hide doubts - and to commemorate Mevlana's most loyal servant.