Sema – a mystical side of Turkey

Mevlânâ Celâleddîn, known as Rûmî, was a Turkish poet and Sufi mystic who lived in Konya in the 131″ century. Mevlevi order, better known as The Whirling Dervishes are a mystical group whose members are Mevlana’s followers. The dance of the dervishes is the inspiration of Mevlânâ Rûmî, whereby dervishes by dance can reach out and touch the uttermost.

The Sema (whirling dervishes) ceremony represents a mystical journey of man’s spiritual ascent through mind and love to “Perfect”. Turning towards the truth, his growth through love, desert his ego, find the truth and arrive to the “Perfect”. Then he returns from this spiritual journey as a man who reached maturity and a greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service to the whole creation, to all creatures without discrimination in regard to belief, class, or race.

Sema is a philosophy; a praying ritual, combing with God and it is part of Turkish history, custom, religion, culture and beliefs. It symbolizes the different meanings of a mystic cycle to perfection. 2005 UNESCO has proclaimed Sema as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Sema is what The Whirling Dervishes do as a form of remembrance of God.