unesco intangible cultural heritage

UNESCOIntangible Cultural Heritage

The Mevlevi Sema Ceremony- Turkey

Originating in Sufi tradition, the Mevleviye dance groups are famous

for their practice of whirling dances.

Accompanied by a musical repertoire that combines elements of Turkish and Persian

music, the dancers rotate for several hours, seeking to feel closer to the divine.

In this stark and striking photo, a young man in white robes is dancing

gracefully with his eyes closed and arms upheld. His body fills the centre of the photo. The setting is dark and most likely

inside; the man is dancing on a red wooden

floor against a black background.

Light illuminates his white-clothed body casting a deep shadow behind that merges with the darkness and soft blue shadows in the folds of his robes. He

appears to be whirling in a circle, his long skirt flaring

outwards to form a triangle. On his torso he wears a plain white tunic

with a round collar, unfastened at the waist.

On his head rests a long tall plain

brown hat. His arms are bent upwards forming an arch

over his shoulders, his fingers pointing inwards. His face

points right, but his expression shows

complete dedication and immersion

to his dance.

The Mevleviye is an ascetic Sufi order

founded in 1273 in Konya, from where it

gradually spread throughout the Ottoman

Empire. Today, the Mevleviye can be found

in many Turkish communities throughout the world, but the most

active and famous centres of the order’s

activity are in Konya and Istanbul.

Mevlâna Jelaleddin Rumî is among Islam's

greatest poets and

mystic philosophers

. (1207-1273)

come, come again, whoever you are, come!heathen, fire worshipper or

idolatrous, come!

come even if you broke your

penitence a hundred times,

ours is the portal of hope, come as you

are .

Be as a river on benevolence and

munificenceBe as the sun on

benignity and compassion

Be as a night on concealing the blots

of the othersBe as the dead on

anger and furyBe as the earth on

humility and modesty

Be as the sun  on tolerance

Be as you look or look

as you are

MusicTurkish Classical Music

Acemkurdi Pesrev

İbrahim DALJULY 2009