We are leaping a little forward in our itinerary, but given that we had just finished our visit to the Tomb of Rumi and the Sultanhani Caravanserai, this entry seemed make more sense here (and round out the theme). In this case we are now in Kappdokia (English Cappdocia), where we are headed next.
One of the opportunities we had as an "add on event" was to see a , or Devish Ceremony. As you might remember, the Mevlevi Dervish order was banned in Turkey in A.D. 1925; however, it is still allowed to "exist" as a cultural property. This demonstration, therefore, was intended as a cultural demonstration only (although given the nature of ceremony and the practitioners, I would argue it was much more to them).
The ceremony took place in another Seljuk caravanserai -in this case the Saruhan Caravanserai, built in A.D. 1249 by the Seljuk Sultanate. Although smaller than the Sultanhani, it gave just the right atmosphere to the ceremony.
While ceremony was completely without photography or video, the dervishes (or so they are in my mind) kindly gave us a short follow-on for pictures and video.
(Author's note: The following is based both on the pamphlet provided and more information via Wikipedia here.)
The ceremony itself is divided into seven parts: The "Nat-i Şerif", or eulogy, to the Prophet Muhammed and to all the prophets before him. Next comes the "Kum-Be", a drum sound to symbolize the creation. The third is an instrumental improvisation on the ney, a flute (of which we saw examples at the Tomb of Rumi), representing the first breath which gave breath to all life. Next is the Greeting, where they greet each other by crossing their hands over their chest and bowing to themselves and to the Sheikh, which symbolizes souls saluting souls concealed by shapes and bodies.
The fifth part is the actual whirling (the Semā). The dervishes shed their outer robes of black (hirka) symbolizing death and the grave and reveal robes and jackets of white (tennūre and destegül) the shroud of ego. On his head he wears a brimless headdress (siekke), symbolizing the tombstone of ego.
At this time they walk to the floor, begin walking in a circle, and then begin whirling in the same circle. During the dance, their right hand is held up to receive God's beneficence, the left hand turned downward to the earth to channel that beneficence to the earth. The right foot propels them in a counterclockwise motion 360 degrees as they silently chant God's name. The purpose of this, per the pamphlet, is for "conveying God's spiritual gift to the people upon whom God looks with a Divine watchfulness. Revolving around the heart, from right to left, he embraces all of humankind, all the creation with affection and love".
There are four salutes, or "Selams". They represent man's birth to truth by feeling and mind, the rapture of man witnessing the splendour of creation, the dissolution of the mind into love and the sacrifice of love, and the return of the dervish to the earth.
The service concludes with parts six and seven, a reading of Koran and a prayer.
Enough explanation. On to the ceremony.
The greeting:
Preparing to whirl. The crossed arms, done at the end of each stage, represents the number one, attesting to the unity of God.
The dervishes start by walking in a circle to the music, then they begin to dance.
The Sheikh remains in the center of the circle, slowly turning. At times, he raises his left hand as if in blessing and puts his right hand over his heart.
The ceremony floor:
The interior of the caravanserai:
Drums:
One of the rooms to the side of the courtyard was filled with this small lamps. Originally lit by candles (I assume), they are now all electrified (although they may close to overloading that circuit). It was magical beyond compare (see video below).
Of all the things we did and saw in Turkey, this remains one of my truly favorite experiences. There was nothing but peace and tranquility that almost visibly manifested itself from this ceremony. Were we to have this kind of religion and respect each other (even if we cannot agree), it would be indeed a more merry world.
Any idea why the dervishes were banned? Even so, it's interesting that it was recognized and preserved as a cultural asset.
ReplyDeleteThe rooms with the lights are wonderful. What a job it would be to have to keep them all in candles. I'm sure the day it was electrified was a blessing to somebody.
Leigh, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (the name Ataturk means "Father of the Turks"), the founder of the Turkish republic, made a complete break with the Ottoman past. Part of this was turning the remaining Ottoman lands into a secular, modern republic. He did not ban Islam, but many religious properties that had been mosques were turned into museums (such as the Aya Sofia and the Tomb of Rumi) and fundamentalist sects banned - Sufism, although not considered yo be a risk, was banned to be consistent with the government order.
DeleteI had seen these lamps in many places, but not lit up like this. It really would have been a job.
I second Leigh's comment about the candles. Even with incandescent bulbs it would be quite a undertaking. Hopefully they have LED bulbs in them now.
ReplyDeleteEd, in retrospect I should have looked in and seen what they were lit with.
DeleteQuite the post TB, any idea of the numbers of practitioners of the Dervish order? Indeed the world would be a better place if ALL religions respected other religions, eh?
ReplyDeleteTruly, no idea Nylon-2, although there are lodges in the West.
DeleteIt would indeed be a better world.