The royal couple visited the shrine of Mevlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi

The royal couple toured the shrine of Mevlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi before watching the dance of the Whirling Dervishes in the Turkish city of Konya.

In an address, the prince called for a "rebalance of the East and West in ourselves" and urged people to look closely at the modern world's values.

Prince Charles and Camilla are in Turkey on a four-day cultural tour.

Presidential invitation

Mevlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi - a 13th century poet - proposed using music, poetry and dancing as a means for reaching God.

The prince said: "What better place than here near the resting place of Mevlana Jalal al-Din al-Rumi to rededicate ourselves to the purpose of re-acquiring an understanding heart and a rebalance of the East and West in ourselves."

Charles and Camilla watched the dance of the Whirling Dervishes

He added: "At this crucial time in history we need to look very closely at the values our modern world now exposes and consider the extent to which they enable us to live more integrated and sustainable lives."

Charles and Camilla arrived in the Turkish capital Ankara following an invitation from the country's President Abdullah Gul.

Also on their itinerary in Turkey is a visit to the site of a 9,000-year-old Neolithic settlement at Catalhoyuk, seeing a rehabilitation centre in Ankara, dining with President Gul, and visits to the cities of Istanbul and Izmir.

Prince Charles last went to Turkey in 2005 for the 90th anniversary of the World War I Gallipoli landings, and attended the reopening of the bombed British consulate in Istanbul the previous year.