The centrepiece of Turkish folk stories. Nasreddin Hodja or Molla Nasruddin believed to have lived during the reign of Timurlane. Second view, however, was that he was a contemporary of Alauddin Seljuqi (13th century). The number of the stories of his adventures, wit and follies exceeded several hundreds. Nasreddin is the main character of numerous stories, dramas, music, movies, cartoons, comic-strips and in paintings, which have crossed several geographical borders and survived many generations - the first story is found in the book called 'Saltukname' written in 1480. Every year from 5 - 10 July, an international Festival is organised in his name in Akshehir, Konya, Turkey. Nasreddin's fine specimen miniature is found in a 17th century hand-written book in Topkapi Palace Museum Library in Istanbul (catalogue 2142). His illustrated stories and a fairly detailed bibliographical reference can be found in a recent English publication: Nasreddin Hodja - ISBN 975-479-123-6. Nasreddin, it is believed, was born in the village of Hortu in Sivrihisar in the city of Eskishehir in Anatolia, Turkey. His tomb in Akshehir, a province of Konya, has been visited for years although some believe that his personality in folklore was so strong that a grave had to be found to serve as his tomb. Nasreddin Hodja or Molla Nasruddin may be the only person who lived before and after his death.