Click Here for New Version of  Website
MEVLANA AND THE WHIRLING DERVISHES

Silence reigns.

A black jacket covers their long white dress, belted at the waist.  On their heads, rest tall conical felt hats.  They wait with arms crossed.

A small orchestra will soon play the music for the 'Sema' - the ecstatic dance of the dervishes.  The music begins, mysterious and deep....and slowly the dance begins.

On the 17th of December, the anniversary of Mevlana's death, the dervishes dance.  It is a very special celebration held on Konya, near Cappadocia. See pictures above.

Celaleddin Rumi (Mevlana), famous philosopher and mystic, founded the order of the dervishes in the 13th century.  They were to have much influence in the court of the Sultan Keykubad I and in the coming centuries.

In 1925, the order of the dervishes was forbidden, and although the dervish lodge is officially a museum, it is still a place of pilgrimage for many Moslems.

Sufi beliefs include mystical elements of Islam, Buddhism, and Christianity. The highest goal is to close the gap between God and man, which can only be achieved in moments of ecstasy. The dervishes reach a state of consciousness which culminates in a mystical union with God.

The turning movement of the dervishes also symbolizes the movement of the stars, as depicted in the astronomical charts of the Persian astronomer Sufi (10th century).

We welcome people who are interested to tour with us on Dec 17th to see the Mevlana Museum and the sacred dance of the Whirling Dervishes.

Nightly folkloric shows are also available in Cappadocia to see the Whirling Dervishes at most times of the year, which can be booked with your tour if you so wish.