Passion or Profession: Poet, Mystic Leader

Period: unavailable–c. 1166

Born in Isfidjab (now Sayram) in what is now Kazakhstan, Yesevi was a Sufi, a mystic Islamic leader, who strongly influenced the region's literary and religious traditions. He was educated in Bukhara (now in Uzbekistan) and spent much of his life in Yassy (now in Turkmenistan). Yesevi's teachings gave rise to many mystical orders. In the 14th century, the Turkic conqueror Timur (Tamerlane) built a mausoleum on the site of Yesevi's burial.