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Nasreddin Hodja ( Ottoman : نصر الدین خوجه ; 1208, Hortu - 1284, Akşehir ) is a legendary person and humorous hero who lived in Hortu and Akşehir during the Anatolian Seljuk State . Although there are debates about whether Nasreddin Hodja, who is mostly known for his stories that portray him as a wise man with a quick wit and a sense of humor, actually lived or, if he did, what his real personality was, there are also some documents that prove that he was a real historical figure. According to the information obtained from these documents, Nasreddin Hodja was born in the village of Hortu in Akşehir in 1208 , after receiving his basic education there, he studied at a madrasah in Sivrihisar and upon his father's death, he assumed the position of village imam in his hometown. After a while, Nasreddin Hodja migrated to Akşehir, one of the centers of Sufi thought at the time, and became a member of the Mevlevi , Yesevi or Rufai path as a dervish of Mahmud-ı Hayrani . Nasreddin Hodja, who undertook civil duties in Akşehir and is thought to have spent short periods of time in the regions around Akşehir, died in Akşehir in 1284 and was buried in the present-day Nasreddin Hodja Tomb . Nasreddin Hodja's legendary personality, which developed with the stories told in his name, emerged in the same century as his death, and the written narratives attributed . Due to its spread over a wide geographical area, many works have been produced about Nasreddin Hodja in the fields of art and popular culture. Among these, Nasreddin Hodja's Mansıb , written between 1775-1782, is the first known theater play ; Nastradin Hodja i Hitar Petar , released in 1939 , is the first known film . In addition, 1996 was celebrated as the Year of Nasreddin Hodja by UNESCO and it was certified as an intangible cultural heritage in 2022