Whirling Dervish Ceremony & Sufi Music Concert in Istanbul

About the Whirling Dervishes: The origin and roots of Sufism lie in the life and practices of the Prophet of Islam and the Qur’an. Sufism is an interpretation of Islam, focusing on love, tolerance, worship of God, community development, and personal development through self-discipline and responsibility. A Sufi’s way of life is to love and be of service to people, deserting the ego or false self and all illusion so that one can reach maturity and perfection and finally, God. The Sufis are known for their poverty and austerity.
Known to the west as Whirling Dervishes, the Mevlevi Order was founded by Mevlana Rumi in the 13th century. The Order wrote of tolerance, forgiveness, and enlightenment. They survive today as a cultural brotherhood. They are not theatrical spectacles but sacred rituals. The ritual of the Mevlevi sect, known as the sema, is a serious religious ritual performed by Muslim priests in a prayer trance to Allah. Mevlevi believed that during the sema the soul was released from earthly ties, and able to freely and jubilantly commune with the divine. Dervish literally means "doorway" and is thought to be an entrance from this material world to the spiritual, heavenly world. The Whirling Dervishes played an important part in the evolution of Ottoman high culture.
From the fourteenth to the twentieth century, their impact on classical poetry, calligraphy and visual arts was profound. Rumi and his followers integrated music into their rituals as an article of faith. Rumi emphasized that music uplifts our spirit to realms above, and we hear the tunes of the Gates of Paradise.

This ceremony is an alternative for our Monday ceremonies. If your plans doesn't match for mondays we have this beautiful show in Every - Wednesday  and Friday starting at 19:30 in Sirkeci. This place has a very good atmosphere with dance & music.