Juniper Publishers-The Whirling Dervishes: An Old Heritage Recognized at Last
Juniper Publishers- Open Access Journal of Social Sciences & Management studies
The Whirling Dervishes: An Old Heritage Recognized at Last
Authored by Ikrame Selkani
Introduction
In the 13th century, the great thinker of
Sufism, Jalal DIN Rûmî, blends in the Mevlevi’s order in Konya, a city
in Turkey. The members of the Mevlevi’s order are called “the whirling
dervishes” which bears this name due to the movement of their dance.
This dance is performed during a ceremony called “Sema”, during which
whirling dervishes perform rotations on themselves more and more quickly
following the sound of traditional music. Konya, the largest crossroads
city in the world, home to more than a million inhabitants, located at
the center of many religions, became a very important place, a sort of
pilgrimage since the remains of the founder of the Order of the Mevlevis
lies there. From the mausoleum to the museum of Mevlana and the
manifestation of whirling dervishes in the city of Konya especially
Turkey, the issue of tourism tends to become a little more cultural.
Whirling Dervishes: An Old Discipline Finally Recognized
The whirling dervishes are also known as the Mevlevi
and well known in the city of Konya, Turkey. Ancient and mystical city
where lies one of the great poets, Jalal DIN Rumi. Nowadays the tomb of
this man has become a great touristic site in the city of Konya, the
second known touristic place after the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. This
city includes mausoleum where the mausoleum of Mevlâna which is the
source of Sufism. During the ceremonies, the Mevlevis slowly begins
their show with three turns while walking: the first round symbolizes
the creation of the sun, the moon, and the stars by God; the second
round represents the creation of plants, and the third represents the
creation of animals. The Whirling Dervishes moves to the middle of the
room with arms crossed and their hands on their shoulders. The
Mevlevis owe their names to their prayers. The whirling dervish performs
a dance following a traditional music while turning on himself. The
Mevlevi unfold his arms to then raise them to the sky. Deploying the
palm of the left hand towards the sky and the palm of the right hand
towards the ground. The Mevlevis rotate on themselves by leaning on the
left foot and the right foot is used to rotate. Hence, flexibility is
recommended, the eyes remain wide open without fixating anything to
prevent the sightfrom becoming blurred. The movement settled in the 13th
century in Turkey by Jalal DIN Rûmî Persian poet and philosopher joined
the mystical branch: Sufism.
1207-1273, Jalal Din Rûmî was the First to Practice Whirling Dance
A religious man professes a mysticism about love and
tolerance without distinction of culture or religion. The first whirling
dervishes made their appearances dressed all in white and accompanied
by music and songs. The Mevlana Museum in Konya is a former convent of
whirling dervishes that has become a museum of Islamic art today. The
latter could be described by a ceramic-covered tower and a mausoleum
that attracts people each year. Well known by the name of “green
mausoleum” because of the color of its dome. The museum contains a
library, a school and the hall where rituals were practiced when the
museum was still a convent. In the center, the mausoleum is generously
decorated with Islamic writing and different enamel relief. It contains
the remains of several important figures of the Mevlevi order. The main
tomb is protected by a small silver gate from the end of the 16th
century and that of Mevlana Rumi. The room located next to the mausoleum
now serves as a museum to expose many musical instruments used during
dancing prayers, dresses that belonged to Mevlana as well as Ottoman
items from
the13th century engraved in gold. And among all these priceless
items is found the most expensive silk carpet in the world [1-3].
The whirling dervish show is one of the things you cannot
miss during a trip to Turkey. Konya remains the must-see city and
a place that impregnates long mystical dance movement. Deeply
anchored in the Turkish traditions, the movement of whirling
dervishes is itself by its dynamism and its mystical aspect.
Istanbul also organizes shows which areopen to everyone. When
we talk about cultural tourism, we are talking about two worlds:
culture and tourism. Both concepts together give birth to a new
notion namely: Discovery.We travel to change ideas to de-stress.
During the trip, we live the culture by visiting places that tell
us the story through the historical places and revealing ancient
civilizations, which for us today we can interpret as a renaissance
and discovery. The cultural tourism is then combined in the form
of all traditions artistic event and experience that represents a
nation and reflects the diversity and cultural diversity of it. These
lived experiences can be intellectual, emotional, aesthetics,
etc. by attending to the different cultural products existing in
this nation. Cultural tourism is a intense contact created in the
traveler as soon as he is in the territory. Cultural tourism can be
either a primary or secondary goal. In general, cultural tourists
have a great interest in adventure and openness, they are very
curious and have a great desire to share.
Ritual of Sema
The fundamental condition of our existence is to turn. There
is no object, no being that does not turn. The shared similarity
between all created things is the revolution of electrons, protons,
and neutrons in the atoms that constitute their basic structure.
From the smallest cell to the planets and the farthest stars,
everything takes part in this rotation. Thus, Semazens, those
who swirl, participate consciously in the shared revolution of all
existence. The Sema ceremony represents a spiritual journey;
the seeker turns to God and truth, love through love, selftransformation
as a means of union with God and a return to life
as a servant of all creation.
The Semazen (with a camel felt hat depicting a gravestone
and a large white skirt symbolizing the shroud of death), after
removing its black cloth, is spiritually born to the Truth. The
Semazens stand with arms folded, ready to begin their turn. In
their erect position, they represent the number one, testifying to
the unity of God. Each rotation passes them in front of the sheik,
who stands on a red sheepskin. This is the place of Mevlana
Celaleddin-i Rumi, and the sheik is understood as a channel for
divine grace. At the beginning of each of the four movements of
the ceremony, the Semazens intrude upon each other respecting
the inner spirit. As their arms unfold, the right hand opens to
heaven in prayer, ready to receive the benevolence of God. The
left hand, on which rests his eyes, is turned towards the ground
in the gesture of agreement.
Fix-footed, the Semazen provides a point of contact with
this Earth through which divine blessings can flow. Turning
from right to left, he embraces all creation as he sings the name
of God in his heart. The Sema ritual consists of seven parts: It
begins with the singing of Nat-i-Serif, a eulogy for the Prophet
Muhammad PBUH (peace be upon him), which represents love.
The praiser praises the truth of God that he and all the prophets
before him have brought. Then follows the call of the drum and
the death knell of glory, calling the denizens to wake up and Be.
This begins the procession known as Sultan Veled Walk. It is the
greeting from one soul to another, recognized by the training.
Then begins the Sema ritual itself. It consists of four greetings
or hello. The first selam is the birth of truth through knowledge.
The second selam expresses a delight to attend the splendor of
creation. The third selam is the transformation of rapture into
love; the sacrifice of the mind and of oneself to love. It represents
complete submission and communion with God. The fourth
selam is the semazen’s approach with his destiny and his return
to his task in creation. In the fourth selam, the sheik enters the
circulating dervishes, where he assumes the place of the sun in
the center of the circulating planets. Sema ends with a reading of
the Qur’an. The sheik and the dervishes complete their time with
the greeting of peace, then leave, accompanied by a joyous music
of their departure. One of the beauties of this seven-century
ritual is how it unifies the three fundamental components of
man’s nature; mind, emotion, and spirit, combining them into one
practice and a worship that seeks the purification of the three in
the turning toward divine unity. But above all, the enrichment of
this land and the well-being of humanity [4-6].
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