Asli Saglam/ANA - Turkish Daily News - Ankara, Turkey
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Konya: The Year of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi has seen many whirling dervish performances around Turkey and also abroad.
Whirling dervishes, who perform the sema ceremony in long white dresses called “tennure" and tall conical hats, making the audience feel like they are from another world, are often florists, officers, doctors, grocers and farmers in their daily life.
Today there are 14 permanent whirling dervishes within the directorship of the Konya Turkish Mysticism Music Community. Additional performers are residents of Konya who have different jobs but are as professional as the staff.
These craftsmen and traders become whirling dervishes in the evenings after they close down their shops and offices. Their information is on record at the Konya Turkish Mysticism Music Community and they are always ready to perform after office hours.
One of the whirling dervishes is Recep Erol, 29, who owns a flower shop in Konya's Zafer Square. Following Rumi's path is a way of life for him and being a whirling dervish is like praying.
Some in the audience are surprised when they find out that he is one of the part time whirling dervishes. "Most of the people around me know that I am a whirling dervish, we don't only perform for people, we come together with friends once in a while," Erol said, adding, "I started learning Sufism when I was 12 years old."
Celalettin Berberoğlu, who owns a grocery store near the Rumi Museum, was born into the philosophy of Rumi and started learning how to be a whirling dervish when he was a 6-year-old.
"I have been a dervish for 31 years now, I even go abroad to perform, but actually being a whirling dervish is not an occupation," said Beberoğlu.
Rumi wanted dervishes to look after their families so it was their occupation but now it is seen as a job, he said, adding that every dervish should have another job.
"The sema ceremony is actually a celebration; turning to God when hearing the order, "turn into me;" it is rendering thanks to God," he said, adding, "dervishes are enlightened during the sema ceremony, the body leaves its frame and reaches unification."
Friday, December 21, 2007
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Friday, December 21, 2007
Being a Whirling Dervish
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Konya: The Year of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi has seen many whirling dervish performances around Turkey and also abroad.
Whirling dervishes, who perform the sema ceremony in long white dresses called “tennure" and tall conical hats, making the audience feel like they are from another world, are often florists, officers, doctors, grocers and farmers in their daily life.
Today there are 14 permanent whirling dervishes within the directorship of the Konya Turkish Mysticism Music Community. Additional performers are residents of Konya who have different jobs but are as professional as the staff.
These craftsmen and traders become whirling dervishes in the evenings after they close down their shops and offices. Their information is on record at the Konya Turkish Mysticism Music Community and they are always ready to perform after office hours.
One of the whirling dervishes is Recep Erol, 29, who owns a flower shop in Konya's Zafer Square. Following Rumi's path is a way of life for him and being a whirling dervish is like praying.
Some in the audience are surprised when they find out that he is one of the part time whirling dervishes. "Most of the people around me know that I am a whirling dervish, we don't only perform for people, we come together with friends once in a while," Erol said, adding, "I started learning Sufism when I was 12 years old."
Celalettin Berberoğlu, who owns a grocery store near the Rumi Museum, was born into the philosophy of Rumi and started learning how to be a whirling dervish when he was a 6-year-old.
"I have been a dervish for 31 years now, I even go abroad to perform, but actually being a whirling dervish is not an occupation," said Beberoğlu.
Rumi wanted dervishes to look after their families so it was their occupation but now it is seen as a job, he said, adding that every dervish should have another job.
"The sema ceremony is actually a celebration; turning to God when hearing the order, "turn into me;" it is rendering thanks to God," he said, adding, "dervishes are enlightened during the sema ceremony, the body leaves its frame and reaches unification."
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Asli Saglam/ANA - Turkish Daily News - Ankara, TurkeyThursday, December 20, 2007
Konya: The Year of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi has seen many whirling dervish performances around Turkey and also abroad.
Whirling dervishes, who perform the sema ceremony in long white dresses called “tennure" and tall conical hats, making the audience feel like they are from another world, are often florists, officers, doctors, grocers and farmers in their daily life.
Today there are 14 permanent whirling dervishes within the directorship of the Konya Turkish Mysticism Music Community. Additional performers are residents of Konya who have different jobs but are as professional as the staff.
These craftsmen and traders become whirling dervishes in the evenings after they close down their shops and offices. Their information is on record at the Konya Turkish Mysticism Music Community and they are always ready to perform after office hours.
One of the whirling dervishes is Recep Erol, 29, who owns a flower shop in Konya's Zafer Square. Following Rumi's path is a way of life for him and being a whirling dervish is like praying.
Some in the audience are surprised when they find out that he is one of the part time whirling dervishes. "Most of the people around me know that I am a whirling dervish, we don't only perform for people, we come together with friends once in a while," Erol said, adding, "I started learning Sufism when I was 12 years old."
Celalettin Berberoğlu, who owns a grocery store near the Rumi Museum, was born into the philosophy of Rumi and started learning how to be a whirling dervish when he was a 6-year-old.
"I have been a dervish for 31 years now, I even go abroad to perform, but actually being a whirling dervish is not an occupation," said Beberoğlu.
Rumi wanted dervishes to look after their families so it was their occupation but now it is seen as a job, he said, adding that every dervish should have another job.
"The sema ceremony is actually a celebration; turning to God when hearing the order, "turn into me;" it is rendering thanks to God," he said, adding, "dervishes are enlightened during the sema ceremony, the body leaves its frame and reaches unification."
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