Sufi Culture & Whirling Dervish Ceremony in a Real Monastery

Idea : During this Monastery visit & Dervish Ceremony; you will see the story of Sufism, Sufis and their communities in Istanbul, Turkey, today.You will meet the Sufi community and their monastery, listen to their music, eye-witness the Whirling Dervishes Ceremony. The ceremonies are presented every mondays & thursdays.

Known to the west as Whirling Dervishes, the Mevlevi Order was founded by Mevlana Rumi in the 13th century. The Order wrote of tolerance, forgiveness, and enlightenment. They survive today as a cultural brotherhood. They are not theatrical spectacles but sacred rituals. The ritual of the Mevlevi sect, known as the sema, is a serious religious ritual performed by Muslim priests in a prayer trance to Allah. Mevlevi believed that during the sema the soul was released from earthly ties, and able to freely and jubilantly commune with the divine. Dervish literally means "doorway" and is thought to be an entrance from this material world to the spiritual, heavenly world. The Whirling Dervishes played an important part in the evolution of Ottoman high culture. 

From the fourteenth to the twentieth century, their impact on classical poetry, calligraphy and visual arts was profound. Rumi and his followers integrated music into their rituals as an article of faith. Rumi emphasized that music uplifts our spirit to realms above, and we hear the tunes of the Gates of Paradise.

The ceremony is in a real monastery in on Monday & Thursday evenings
Meeting time is 20:00 in our Art Gallery located in Sultanahmet !

LOCATION of our Gallery :
http://www.bazaarturkey.com/contact_us1.htm

** Please note that there may be a little time changes and flexibility on the ceremony due to the prayer hours. Please send us an e-mail to learn the exact times.

** Also we are taking limited number of guests to the monastery in order not to disturb the ambiance soo please send us an e-mail in advanced.

Before the ceremony we can giive you a brief information about the Sufism & the Whirling Dervishes. If you are interested please send us a e-mail for reservation.

Contact People : Mr. Alp - Mr. Nurdogan

For the group ceremoy inquiries about our Sufi Dance & Sema group in your countries or in special organisations, please send us an e-mail. 
Alternatively we also arrange weekly tours to Konya in Mevlana Week in every december.
For information concerning the Mevlena Week in Konya, please send us an e-mail.