Performing in Konya, Turkey For most people, spinning in circles for an extended period would cause a serious case of the dizzies, but the Sufi mystic poet Rumi saw whirling as a tool in the mystical and spiritual journey to get closer to Allah. After Rumi's death in 1273, his followers founded the Mevlevi Order, known as the Whirling Dervishes due to their ritual and iconic dancing. Each December, in honor of Rumi's death, the Whirling Dervish Festival is held in Konya, Turkey. Tourists and pilgrims flock to the Mevlana Museum to witness the Sema. The extravagant and magical whirling is rife with symbolism. The accompanying reed pipe represents the trumpet blown on Judgment Day. The dancers' cone-shaped hats represent gravestones, their black cloaks signify coffins, and their white shirts symbolize shrouds. The dancers themselves represent the sun, the orbiting stars, and the moon, spinning along a path to higher consciousness. Suggested Sites... Whirling Dervishes: A Search for Spirituality - photographs documenting a ceremony in the U.S. celebrating the Sufi mystic poet Jelaluddin Mevlana Rumi. The Ritual Ceremony of the Mevlevi - a description of the Whirling Dervishes ceremony. Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi - information about Rumi's life and the Whirling Dervishes. Rumi's Poetry - read the mystical poetry of Rumi. Mevlevi Order of America - official site for Whirling Dervishes in the U.S.

Directory categories: Whirling Dervishes, Sufism, Rumi

Archived under: Dance, Festivals, History, Regional, Religion, Rumi, Spirituality

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