Post by yenilira on Nov 21, 2011 21:17:34 GMT 1
When you are in Turkey, you will no doubt hear someone speak of the "Whirling Dervish", and if you are in the Konya or Cappadocia regions, take the opportunity, if you can, to attend a 'performance' of these mystic people.
The Whirling Dervishes are the Sufis - Islamic mystics - of the Mevlevi Order, the Mevlevi tariqa, or 'Path'.
The Mevlevi Path of the Whirling Dervishes, is the path of Hazreti Mevlânâ Jelaluddin Rumi, who is, apparently, now the most popular poet in the U.S., but sometimes people don’t make the connection between the poetry of Hazreti Mevlânâ Jelaluddin Rumi and the tradition of the Whirling Dervishes.
The poetry of Rumi is in bookstores all over the world and it's probably one of the most widely translated writings of all time.
But who is, or was, Hazreti Mevlânâ Jelaluddin Rumi? (also spelt 'Celaleddin').
He was a 13th century Muslim saint and Anatolian mystic known throughout the world for his exquisite poems and words of wisdom, who was born on 30 September 1207 AD or 6th Rai'u-'l-avval 604 AH in the city of Balkh, Horasan, which at the time was inhabited by Turkish tribes; (Balkh, today, remains within the boundaries of Afghanistan).
His father, Bahauddin Veled, accepted the invitation of the Sultan and his family and friends, and came to Konya, the capital of the then Anatolia Seljuk State - a center for education and art, in May 3, 1220.
By 1230, he had already become a scholar and a teacher at the tender age of 23, and it would not have been an exaggeration to say that Mevlânâ had learned the fundamentals of philosophy and mysticism from his father.
He had such command of Turkish, Persian, Arabic, and Greek, that he could write poetry in all four languages.
Mevlânâ Celaleddin-i Rumi's masterpiece, his six volume Mesnevi consisting of 25,700 couplets, is regarded as the most outstanding work of Persian-Islamic mysticism. It is not clear when Mevlânâ started writing the Mesnevi, though it is known that he started on the second volume of his magnum opus in 1264.
This masterpiece of Islam's mystic literature was written in the form of poetry which included philosophical, mystical, and spiritual messages and could in a sense be considered allegories which carry deep spiritual and religious meanings.
His second masterpiece, Divan-i Sems, though smaller in size is no less important from a literary and mystical standpoint. Divan-i Sems or (Divan-i Kebir as it is sometimes called) is a collection of verses (gazels) in which Mevlânâ reached heights of poetry, music and mysticism. It is regarded as the mature expression of his consciousness of universal unity (Vahdet-i Vucud).
The Sema is derived from Rumi's habit of occasionally whirling in ecstatic joy in the the Konya streets.
Mevlânâ died on 17 December 1273 and was laid to rest beside his father in Konya, in present day Turkey. A splendid shrine, the Mevlânâ Moseleum was erected over their remains, which is now a museum and place of pilgrimage. Every year on that day, at this magnificient 13th century mausoleum Seb-i Arus is celebrated.
www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/konya-mevlana-museum.htm
Here are a couple of pictures I took of the Sarcophagus of Mevlâna when we visited the tomb in June 2006:
and one of us 'a bit further up the road' in Cappadocia
In the Sema, the ceremony begins with a song called the Na’at, a recitation: Ya Hazreti Mevlânâ , and this means: 'Presence of our Lord', or Master.
This is commonly used when referring to Mevlânâ Jelaluddin Rumi, but these words in the opening recitation do not relate to Rumi, rather they relate to the Holy Prophet.
After this opening, there is the ney (reed flute) playing, recalling this yearning and separation of the soul from its divine origin. Then we enter into the Sema with the cycle of Sultan Veled in which the dervishes walk round three times and bow to each other.
As they bow in front of the post‚ the red sheepskin throne‚ of the Sheikh, they are recognizing in each other the divine spark.
There follows a period of dhikr Allah before they begin the four selams or salutations, the four greetings, which comprise the turning or whirling of the Sema itself.
Finally, there is a recitation from the Holy Qur’an -
'... whithersoever you turn, there is the Face of God'.
As they rotate faster and faster, they appear to enter a mystical trance. Their white gowns form a large bell shape as the dancer's rotations continue to increase in speed to the musical compositional form called Ayin.
Performances can last more than 30 minutes, often ending only when the dervish collapses.
The Sema is a ceremony of dhikr Allah, which means 'remembrance of God'.
You can only perform the Sema if you understand the philosophy behind it, and it takes many months of hard work to learn it.
For the first part of this ceremony, you will be told by your (travel) guide not to speak or take photos of the Dervishes.
Konya is also an important place for Christians as well because St. Paul and St. Barnabas came to the city on one of their journeys in Asia Minor around 50 AD. St. Paul preached in Konya but they angered both Jews and Gentiles so they had to leave the city and went to Derbe and Lystra.
UNESCO declared 2007 'The Year of Mevlânâ ' to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the birth of Mevlânâ Celaleddin-i Belhi-Rumi..
I urge you to attend a Mevlevi Sema if at all possible.
The major event is the annual Mevlânâ Commemoration Festival (Mevlâna Anma Törenleri, Þeb-i Aruz) held at the Mevlânâ Cultural Center in Konya during the first half of December.
Because hotel rooms are fully booked months in advance, the best way to attend is on a Rumi Tour.
Fakir bir emekli tarafýndan yazýldý, YL.
The Whirling Dervishes are the Sufis - Islamic mystics - of the Mevlevi Order, the Mevlevi tariqa, or 'Path'.
The Mevlevi Path of the Whirling Dervishes, is the path of Hazreti Mevlânâ Jelaluddin Rumi, who is, apparently, now the most popular poet in the U.S., but sometimes people don’t make the connection between the poetry of Hazreti Mevlânâ Jelaluddin Rumi and the tradition of the Whirling Dervishes.
The poetry of Rumi is in bookstores all over the world and it's probably one of the most widely translated writings of all time.
But who is, or was, Hazreti Mevlânâ Jelaluddin Rumi? (also spelt 'Celaleddin').
He was a 13th century Muslim saint and Anatolian mystic known throughout the world for his exquisite poems and words of wisdom, who was born on 30 September 1207 AD or 6th Rai'u-'l-avval 604 AH in the city of Balkh, Horasan, which at the time was inhabited by Turkish tribes; (Balkh, today, remains within the boundaries of Afghanistan).
His father, Bahauddin Veled, accepted the invitation of the Sultan and his family and friends, and came to Konya, the capital of the then Anatolia Seljuk State - a center for education and art, in May 3, 1220.
By 1230, he had already become a scholar and a teacher at the tender age of 23, and it would not have been an exaggeration to say that Mevlânâ had learned the fundamentals of philosophy and mysticism from his father.
He had such command of Turkish, Persian, Arabic, and Greek, that he could write poetry in all four languages.
Mevlânâ Celaleddin-i Rumi's masterpiece, his six volume Mesnevi consisting of 25,700 couplets, is regarded as the most outstanding work of Persian-Islamic mysticism. It is not clear when Mevlânâ started writing the Mesnevi, though it is known that he started on the second volume of his magnum opus in 1264.
This masterpiece of Islam's mystic literature was written in the form of poetry which included philosophical, mystical, and spiritual messages and could in a sense be considered allegories which carry deep spiritual and religious meanings.
His second masterpiece, Divan-i Sems, though smaller in size is no less important from a literary and mystical standpoint. Divan-i Sems or (Divan-i Kebir as it is sometimes called) is a collection of verses (gazels) in which Mevlânâ reached heights of poetry, music and mysticism. It is regarded as the mature expression of his consciousness of universal unity (Vahdet-i Vucud).
The Sema is derived from Rumi's habit of occasionally whirling in ecstatic joy in the the Konya streets.
Mevlânâ died on 17 December 1273 and was laid to rest beside his father in Konya, in present day Turkey. A splendid shrine, the Mevlânâ Moseleum was erected over their remains, which is now a museum and place of pilgrimage. Every year on that day, at this magnificient 13th century mausoleum Seb-i Arus is celebrated.
www.sacred-destinations.com/turkey/konya-mevlana-museum.htm
Here are a couple of pictures I took of the Sarcophagus of Mevlâna when we visited the tomb in June 2006:
and one of us 'a bit further up the road' in Cappadocia
In the Sema, the ceremony begins with a song called the Na’at, a recitation: Ya Hazreti Mevlânâ , and this means: 'Presence of our Lord', or Master.
This is commonly used when referring to Mevlânâ Jelaluddin Rumi, but these words in the opening recitation do not relate to Rumi, rather they relate to the Holy Prophet.
After this opening, there is the ney (reed flute) playing, recalling this yearning and separation of the soul from its divine origin. Then we enter into the Sema with the cycle of Sultan Veled in which the dervishes walk round three times and bow to each other.
As they bow in front of the post‚ the red sheepskin throne‚ of the Sheikh, they are recognizing in each other the divine spark.
There follows a period of dhikr Allah before they begin the four selams or salutations, the four greetings, which comprise the turning or whirling of the Sema itself.
Finally, there is a recitation from the Holy Qur’an -
'... whithersoever you turn, there is the Face of God'.
As they rotate faster and faster, they appear to enter a mystical trance. Their white gowns form a large bell shape as the dancer's rotations continue to increase in speed to the musical compositional form called Ayin.
Performances can last more than 30 minutes, often ending only when the dervish collapses.
The Sema is a ceremony of dhikr Allah, which means 'remembrance of God'.
You can only perform the Sema if you understand the philosophy behind it, and it takes many months of hard work to learn it.
For the first part of this ceremony, you will be told by your (travel) guide not to speak or take photos of the Dervishes.
Konya is also an important place for Christians as well because St. Paul and St. Barnabas came to the city on one of their journeys in Asia Minor around 50 AD. St. Paul preached in Konya but they angered both Jews and Gentiles so they had to leave the city and went to Derbe and Lystra.
UNESCO declared 2007 'The Year of Mevlânâ ' to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the birth of Mevlânâ Celaleddin-i Belhi-Rumi..
I urge you to attend a Mevlevi Sema if at all possible.
The major event is the annual Mevlânâ Commemoration Festival (Mevlâna Anma Törenleri, Þeb-i Aruz) held at the Mevlânâ Cultural Center in Konya during the first half of December.
Because hotel rooms are fully booked months in advance, the best way to attend is on a Rumi Tour.
Fakir bir emekli tarafýndan yazýldý, YL.