The Mevlana Research Institute has set itself the goal of studying, through scientific methods, the works, system of thought, and fundamental principles of the renowned Turkish-Islamic mystic and thinker Mevlana Jalal al-Din Rumi, as well as the culture and arts of the Mevlevi Order, which represents the path shaped by these principles. Established within the University in 2005 as the Mevlana Research and Application Center, the institution gained the status of an Institute in 2010 and continues its activities under this name.