Dervish dancing
Dervish dancing in Capadoccia Dervish dancing, also known as whirling dance or the Sema , is a spiritual practice associated with the Mevlevi Order, a Sufi Muslim sect founded by the followers of the philosopher, poet and mystic Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (c. 1207-1273) aka Rumi, who was living in Konya, then the capital of the Turkish Seljuk Empire in the 13th century. Rumi told his followers, “There are many roads which lead to God. I have chosen the one of dance and music.” He would fast, mediate and then dance to reach a state of unparalleled enlightenment. Dervish dancing is a form of dhikr (remembrance of God) and represents a journey of spiritual ascent through love, a quest to shed one's ego and connect with the divine. Their movements are precise and meditative, reflecting the balance and harmony of the universe. The dance involves dance participants called semazen spinning in repetitive circles, symbolizing the Earth's rotation and the universal motion of ...