Website for Mevlana

Turkish Press - Plymouth, MI, U.S.A.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Ankara: Ministry of Culture & Tourism opened a website on the occasion of 800th birth anniversary of the great spiritual leader of Islam's Sufi order, Jalal ud-din Rumi or Mevlana.

The website prepared in the framework of "Mevlana Year" can be found in three different addresses www.mevlana.gov.tr, www.mevlanayili.gov.tr and www.2007mevlanayili.gov.tr

The website depicts Sema -- a Mevlevi ritual of whirling dervishes -- and includes the famous couplet of Mevlana, "Come, come again, whoever you are, come! Heathen, fire worshipper or idolatrous, come! Come even if you broke your penitence a hundred times. Ours is the portal of hope, come as you are."

Mevlana's life, works, religious customs of Mevlevi order of whirling dervishes, information about Mevlana Museum, and Mevlevi places of worship in Turkey can be found in the website.

Officials told that the English version of the site, which is under construction right now, will be available in May.

-MEVLANA AND SEMA-
Mevlana was born on September 30th, 1207 in Balkh, which is now located in Afghanistan. He died in Konya (central Anatolia) on December 17th, 1273. He was laid to eternal rest beside his father and over his remains a splendid shrine was erected in Konya.

Though centuries have passed, many people from around world, come and visit Mevlana.

Mevlana devoted himself to the pursuit of Sufi mysticism, in which he was justly regarded as the supreme master. He was the spiritual founder of the Mevlevi order of whirling dervishes.

His most important work, composed during the last ten years of his life, is the Mathnawi-i Manawi (Mesnevi). This comprises about thirty thousand couplets in six books, a vast compendium of Sufi lore and doctrine, interspersed with fables and anecdotes. It is especially remarkable for its insight into the laws of physics and psychology.

On the other hand, sema represents a man's ascent through mind and love to "perfect." Turning towards the truth, he grows through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth and arrives to the "Perfect."

Then he returns from this spiritual journey as a man who reached maturity and a greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service to the whole of creation, to all creatures without discrimination of beliefs, races, classes or nations.

Thousands of domestic and foreign tourists flow each year in December to Konya, the central Anatolian city, where Mevlana was laid to the eternal rest, and attend the festivals on the night of his death, which he called the night of wedding or "Vuslat Gecesi", since he would meet God finally.