Whirling Dervishes

The Ritual Ceremony of the Mevlevi
After the death of the great Sufi mystic Mevlana .Celaleddin Rumi (1207-1273) in Konya, his son Sultan Veled founded the Sufi Order of Mevlevi dervishes (known in the West as the Whirling Dervishes) based on his father's teachings. The Ritual Ceremony of the Mevlevi seen today was performed in Mevlevi dervish lodges since that time until the banning of the lodges in 1925.

The ceremony symbolizes Divine Love and the mystical ecstasy of the intoxicating journey into Union with the Divine Being, a state of absolute, mystical maturity and sobriety. This ceremony and whirling dance called "sema", full of mystical symbolism and precisely set movements is designed to awaken contemplation on the Love of God.

Whirling Dervishes

"We receive from God and distribute to mankind... We own nothing... We are but a visible vehicle... We evaporate into the sky and like rain... Our existence has dissolved into being part of God's Infinite Compassion which is being showered unto the earth..."

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