Whirling Dervishes, Mevlana Culture Center, Konya, Central Anatolia, Turkey, Asia
The Mevlevi Order is a Sufi order in Konya founded by the followers of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic theologian and Sufi mystic. The Mevlevi are also known as the Whirling Dervishes due to their famous practice of whirling as a form of dhikr. Dervish is a common term for an initiate of the Sufi path; the whirling is part of the formal Sama ceremony and the participants are properly known as semazen-s. In 2008, UNESCO confirmed The Mevlevi Sema Ceremony as amongst the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The Mevlevi order was founded in 1273 by Rumi's followers after his death, particularly by his successor Hüsamettin Çelebi who decided to build a mausoleum for their master, and then their master's son, Baha al-Din Muhammad-i Walad. He was an accomplished Sufi mystic with great organising talents. His personal efforts were continued by his successor Ulu Arif Çelebi. The Mevlevi believe in performing their dhikr in the form of a dance and musical ceremony known as the Sama, which involves the whirling, from which the order acquired its nickname. The Sama represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to the Perfect. Turning towards the truth, the follower grows through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth, and arrives at the Perfect. He then returns from this spiritual journey as a man who has reached maturity and a greater perfection, able to love and to be of service to the whole of creation. The origin of Sama is credited to Rumi, Sufi master and in whose name the Mevlevi Order was founded. The story of the creation of this unique form of dhikr tells that Rumi was walking through the town marketplace one day, when he heard the rhythmic hammering of the goldbeaters. It is believed that Rumi heard the dhikr, la elaha ella'llah in Arabic لا اله الا الله, or in English, There is no god but Allah (The God), spoken by the apprentices beating the gold, and was so filled with happiness that he stretched out both of his arms and started spinning in a circle. With that, the practice of Sama and the dervishes of the Mevlevi Order were born. The Mevlevi became a well-established Sufi order in the Ottoman Empire by realising a blood relationship with the Ottoman sultans when Devlet Hatun, a descendant of Sultan Veled married the sultan Bayezid I. Their son Mehmed I Çelebi became the next sultan, endowing the order, as did his successors, with many gifts. Many of the members of the order served in various official positions of the Caliphate. The centre for the Mevlevi order was in Konya, where their 13th century guiding spirit, Jelaleddin al-Rumi is buried. There is also a Mevlevi monastery or dergah in Istanbul, in the Beyoğlu district, where the sama is performed and accessible to the public. During the Ottoman Empire era, the Mevlevi order produced a number of famous poets and musicians such as Sheikh Ghalib, Ismail Ankaravi (both buried at the Galata Mevlevihanesi and Abdullah Sari. Vocal and instrumental music, especially the ney, plays an important role in the Mevlevi ceremony and famous composers such as Dede Efendi wrote music for the ayin (cycle of Mevlevi ceremonial music). The ayin text is normally a selection from the poetry of Rumi. If one buys a CD of Turkish Sufi music, chances are it will be a Mevlevi ayin. During the Ottoman period, the Mevlevi order spread into the Balkans, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Palestine, especially in Jerusalem. The Bosnian writer Meša Selimović wrote the book The Dervish and Death about a Mevlevi dergah in Sarajevo. The Mevlevi Order has some similarities to other Dervish orders such as the Qadiri (founded in 1165), the Rifa'i (founded in 1182), and the Kalenderis.
Miniaturk Museum in Istanbul Turkey
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