Close your eyes and prepare your mind and soul for a mystical journey, an encounter with God Himself

I was wandering the streets of Istanbul when I first came across the dervish dance. I paused for a moment caught by its magic touch, watching with surprise the men whirling continuously in their long white robes. I had no idea what that might be but I was eager to find out.

Rumi…the beginning

In the modern world Rumi is known as the “finest poet of all times”, his positive thoughts inspiring million people every day but not many known how it all started.

Born as a Sufi (the mystic branch of Islam concerned with development of the inner self) he seek spirituality from a young age. It is believed that Rumi would turn round and round while reciting his poems and it was this dance which formed the basis for the Whirling dervishes after his death.

Dervish means doorway, and the dance is believed to be a mystical portal between the earthly and cosmic worlds.

Science and religion agrees

Contemporary science confirms that the fundamental condition of our existence is to revolve, starting with the protons and electrons inside of an atom which constitute the base of the Universe up to the blood circulating on the human body and the resurrection of the soul.

Give up on human desires and ego and you will reach perfection

The complex Sema ceremony consist of several parts and starts with a prayer from Quran being followed by a drum sound symbolizing the Divine order of the Creator and the first breath which gives life to everything: The Divine Breath!

The dervish are greeting each other in what is the forth part of the sacred ritual, the salutation of soul to soul concealed by shapes and bodies.

They close their eyes whirling with their arms open, one towards the sky to receive God’s blessings and the other towards the Earth to share his gift, entering a deep form of meditation meant to reach perfection by abandoning human desires and ego, focusing on God and spinning around Him same as the planet revolve around the Sun.

The ritual ends with a prayer and then the dervishes return to their cells to continue meditation and a humble lifestyle.