Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: Dervishes perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: A member of Konya Turkish Sufi Music Ensemble prepares to perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 7: A member of Konya Turkish Sufi Music Ensemble prepares to perform during a ceremony marking the 745th death anniversary of Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Mevlana Rumi at Konya Metropolitan Municipality Sports And Congress Center in Konya, Turkey on December 07, 2018. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 07: 12 year-old Whirling Dervish (semazen), kisses his hair hat (called sikke) during his pre-performance rituals and routines before sema ceremony in Konya, Turkey on December 7, 2018. Dignifying all living or non-living things which serve humanity, lie behind the symbolic kiss of the hair hat (sikke) and the all components of the Dervish costume. A special ritual called Sema, also known as Mevlevi Ayin-i Sherif, is a “whirling” act accompanied by music and characterized by certain rules. The ritual, beginning with “Nat-i Sherif”, a music in praise of Prophet Mohammad, is followed by the entrance of the Semazen, whirling dervishes performing the dance, into the area, with their arms across their chests to the accompaniment of music, usually the reed. As the Semazen begins the whirling ritual, they take off the waistcoat, as an indication for stepping into purification, deserting the ego aside. As a ritual full of symbols, everything, from acts to clothes, bears a meaning in Sema. For instance, the Semahane (Ritual Quarters) has a round floor to represent the universe; the post on which the Sheikh, the leader of the ritual, is red as a symbol for the sunset, the time of the day Rumi united with God. The post, a beginner of Mevlevi Order sit on, is black. In his “journey of enlightenment”, the new initiate comes to earn a white “post”. As they whirl, the semazens, dressed in a symbolic costume of white robes and a conical hat called a sikke, open both arms to the sides and whirl in a counter-clockwise direction, like an embracement of the entire universe. The right hand with an open palm extended upwards indicates reception from God, passage through the heart’s path. The left hand with the palm extended downwards indicates fair distribution among fellow men. At this point, there is also emphasis on the dervish’s dissolving into divine existence. Described as one of the most exquisite ceremonies of spirituality, the whirling of the dervishes is an act of love and faith possessing a highly-structured form. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 07: Whirling Dervishes (semazens), perform Sema ceremony in Konya, Turkey on December 7, 2018. A special ritual called Sema, also known as Mevlevi Ayin-i Sherif, is a “whirling” act accompanied by music and characterized by certain rules. The ritual, beginning with “Nat-i Sherif”, a music in praise of Prophet Mohammad, is followed by the entrance of the Semazen, whirling dervishes performing the dance, into the area, with their arms across their chests to the accompaniment of music, usually the reed. As the Semazen begins the whirling ritual, they take off the waistcoat, as an indication for stepping into purification, deserting the ego aside. As a ritual full of symbols, everything, from acts to clothes, bears a meaning in Sema. For instance, the Semahane (Ritual Quarters) has a round floor to represent the universe; the post on which the Sheikh, the leader of the ritual, is red as a symbol for the sunset, the time of the day Rumi united with God. The post, a beginner of Mevlevi Order sit on, is black. In his “journey of enlightenment”, the new initiate comes to earn a white “post”. As they whirl, the semazens, dressed in a symbolic costume of white robes and a conical hat called a sikke, open both arms to the sides and whirl in a counter-clockwise direction, like an embracement of the entire universe. The right hand with an open palm extended upwards indicates reception from God, passage through the heart’s path. The left hand with the palm extended downwards indicates fair distribution among fellow men. At this point, there is also emphasis on the dervish’s dissolving into divine existence. Described as one of the most exquisite ceremonies of spirituality, the whirling of the dervishes is an act of love and faith possessing a highly-structured form. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 07: Whirling Dervishes (semazens), perform Sema ceremony in Konya, Turkey on December 7, 2018. A special ritual called Sema, also known as Mevlevi Ayin-i Sherif, is a “whirling” act accompanied by music and characterized by certain rules. The ritual, beginning with “Nat-i Sherif”, a music in praise of Prophet Mohammad, is followed by the entrance of the Semazen, whirling dervishes performing the dance, into the area, with their arms across their chests to the accompaniment of music, usually the reed. As the Semazen begins the whirling ritual, they take off the waistcoat, as an indication for stepping into purification, deserting the ego aside. As a ritual full of symbols, everything, from acts to clothes, bears a meaning in Sema. For instance, the Semahane (Ritual Quarters) has a round floor to represent the universe; the post on which the Sheikh, the leader of the ritual, is red as a symbol for the sunset, the time of the day Rumi united with God. The post, a beginner of Mevlevi Order sit on, is black. In his “journey of enlightenment”, the new initiate comes to earn a white “post”. As they whirl, the semazens, dressed in a symbolic costume of white robes and a conical hat called a sikke, open both arms to the sides and whirl in a counter-clockwise direction, like an embracement of the entire universe. The right hand with an open palm extended upwards indicates reception from God, passage through the heart’s path. The left hand with the palm extended downwards indicates fair distribution among fellow men. At this point, there is also emphasis on the dervish’s dissolving into divine existence. Described as one of the most exquisite ceremonies of spirituality, the whirling of the dervishes is an act of love and faith possessing a highly-structured form. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 07: Whirling Dervishes (semazens), perform Sema ceremony in Konya, Turkey on December 7, 2018. A special ritual called Sema, also known as Mevlevi Ayin-i Sherif, is a “whirling” act accompanied by music and characterized by certain rules. The ritual, beginning with “Nat-i Sherif”, a music in praise of Prophet Mohammad, is followed by the entrance of the Semazen, whirling dervishes performing the dance, into the area, with their arms across their chests to the accompaniment of music, usually the reed. As the Semazen begins the whirling ritual, they take off the waistcoat, as an indication for stepping into purification, deserting the ego aside. As a ritual full of symbols, everything, from acts to clothes, bears a meaning in Sema. For instance, the Semahane (Ritual Quarters) has a round floor to represent the universe; the post on which the Sheikh, the leader of the ritual, is red as a symbol for the sunset, the time of the day Rumi united with God. The post, a beginner of Mevlevi Order sit on, is black. In his “journey of enlightenment”, the new initiate comes to earn a white “post”. As they whirl, the semazens, dressed in a symbolic costume of white robes and a conical hat called a sikke, open both arms to the sides and whirl in a counter-clockwise direction, like an embracement of the entire universe. The right hand with an open palm extended upwards indicates reception from God, passage through the heart’s path. The left hand with the palm extended downwards indicates fair distribution among fellow men. At this point, there is also emphasis on the dervish’s dissolving into divine existence. Described as one of the most exquisite ceremonies of spirituality, the whirling of the dervishes is an act of love and faith possessing a highly-structured form. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 07: Whirling Dervishes (semazens), perform Sema ceremony in Konya, Turkey on December 7, 2018. A special ritual called Sema, also known as Mevlevi Ayin-i Sherif, is a “whirling” act accompanied by music and characterized by certain rules. The ritual, beginning with “Nat-i Sherif”, a music in praise of Prophet Mohammad, is followed by the entrance of the Semazen, whirling dervishes performing the dance, into the area, with their arms across their chests to the accompaniment of music, usually the reed. As the Semazen begins the whirling ritual, they take off the waistcoat, as an indication for stepping into purification, deserting the ego aside. As a ritual full of symbols, everything, from acts to clothes, bears a meaning in Sema. For instance, the Semahane (Ritual Quarters) has a round floor to represent the universe; the post on which the Sheikh, the leader of the ritual, is red as a symbol for the sunset, the time of the day Rumi united with God. The post, a beginner of Mevlevi Order sit on, is black. In his “journey of enlightenment”, the new initiate comes to earn a white “post”. As they whirl, the semazens, dressed in a symbolic costume of white robes and a conical hat called a sikke, open both arms to the sides and whirl in a counter-clockwise direction, like an embracement of the entire universe. The right hand with an open palm extended upwards indicates reception from God, passage through the heart’s path. The left hand with the palm extended downwards indicates fair distribution among fellow men. At this point, there is also emphasis on the dervish’s dissolving into divine existence. Described as one of the most exquisite ceremonies of spirituality, the whirling of the dervishes is an act of love and faith possessing a highly-structured form. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 07: Whirling Dervishes (semazens), perform Sema ceremony in Konya, Turkey on December 7, 2018. A special ritual called Sema, also known as Mevlevi Ayin-i Sherif, is a “whirling” act accompanied by music and characterized by certain rules. The ritual, beginning with “Nat-i Sherif”, a music in praise of Prophet Mohammad, is followed by the entrance of the Semazen, whirling dervishes performing the dance, into the area, with their arms across their chests to the accompaniment of music, usually the reed. As the Semazen begins the whirling ritual, they take off the waistcoat, as an indication for stepping into purification, deserting the ego aside. As a ritual full of symbols, everything, from acts to clothes, bears a meaning in Sema. For instance, the Semahane (Ritual Quarters) has a round floor to represent the universe; the post on which the Sheikh, the leader of the ritual, is red as a symbol for the sunset, the time of the day Rumi united with God. The post, a beginner of Mevlevi Order sit on, is black. In his “journey of enlightenment”, the new initiate comes to earn a white “post”. As they whirl, the semazens, dressed in a symbolic costume of white robes and a conical hat called a sikke, open both arms to the sides and whirl in a counter-clockwise direction, like an embracement of the entire universe. The right hand with an open palm extended upwards indicates reception from God, passage through the heart’s path. The left hand with the palm extended downwards indicates fair distribution among fellow men. At this point, there is also emphasis on the dervish’s dissolving into divine existence. Described as one of the most exquisite ceremonies of spirituality, the whirling of the dervishes is an act of love and faith possessing a highly-structured form. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

KONYA, TURKEY - DECEMBER 07: Whirling Dervishes (semazens), perform Sema ceremony in Konya, Turkey on December 7, 2018. A special ritual called Sema, also known as Mevlevi Ayin-i Sherif, is a “whirling” act accompanied by music and characterized by certain rules. The ritual, beginning with “Nat-i Sherif”, a music in praise of Prophet Mohammad, is followed by the entrance of the Semazen, whirling dervishes performing the dance, into the area, with their arms across their chests to the accompaniment of music, usually the reed. As the Semazen begins the whirling ritual, they take off the waistcoat, as an indication for stepping into purification, deserting the ego aside. As a ritual full of symbols, everything, from acts to clothes, bears a meaning in Sema. For instance, the Semahane (Ritual Quarters) has a round floor to represent the universe; the post on which the Sheikh, the leader of the ritual, is red as a symbol for the sunset, the time of the day Rumi united with God. The post, a beginner of Mevlevi Order sit on, is black. In his “journey of enlightenment”, the new initiate comes to earn a white “post”. As they whirl, the semazens, dressed in a symbolic costume of white robes and a conical hat called a sikke, open both arms to the sides and whirl in a counter-clockwise direction, like an embracement of the entire universe. The right hand with an open palm extended upwards indicates reception from God, passage through the heart’s path. The left hand with the palm extended downwards indicates fair distribution among fellow men. At this point, there is also emphasis on the dervish’s dissolving into divine existence. Described as one of the most exquisite ceremonies of spirituality, the whirling of the dervishes is an act of love and faith possessing a highly-structured form. ( Abdullah Coşkun - Anadolu Agency )Abdullah Coşkun

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Seb-i Arus commemoration ceremony in Turkey's Konya

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Whirling Dervishes keeping alive Rumi's ''Come'' invitation

Highlights

Easter Egg Roll 2026 at the White House

Israeli attack on Gaza City killed a man and heavily injured a child

Water aid delivered to Palestinians in Bureij refugee camp in Gaza

Water aid delivered to Palestinians in Bureij refugee camp in Gaza

At least 4 dead and 39 injured in Israeli airstrike on Beirut's Dahieh

Doctors and medicine students protest against US-Israeli attacks in Tehran

At least 4 dead and 39 injured in Israeli airstrike on Beirut's Dahieh

Four people were injured when an Iranian missile directly hit a building in Haifa

The water level in Kirklareli Dam has reached 63 percent capacity

NBA: Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors in San Francisco

Highlights

Easter Egg Roll 2026 at the White House

Israeli attack on Gaza City killed a man and heavily injured a child

Water aid delivered to Palestinians in Bureij refugee camp in Gaza

Water aid delivered to Palestinians in Bureij refugee camp in Gaza

At least 4 dead and 39 injured in Israeli airstrike on Beirut's Dahieh

Doctors and medicine students protest against US-Israeli attacks in Tehran

At least 4 dead and 39 injured in Israeli airstrike on Beirut's Dahieh

Four people were injured when an Iranian missile directly hit a building in Haifa

The water level in Kirklareli Dam has reached 63 percent capacity

NBA: Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors in San Francisco