Dervish Facts for Kids

Dervish with a lion and a tiger, a painting from the Mughal Empire around 1650.

A dervish (also spelled darvesh) is a special kind of Sufi. Sufism is a spiritual part of Islam, the religion followed by Muslims. Dervishes choose to live a very simple life, often focusing on spiritual growth and being close to God. They are known for living without much money or possessions. In some ways, they are similar to friars in Christianity or sadhus in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. These are all people who live simply for religious reasons.

Whirling Dervishes and the Sema Ceremony

Whirling dervishes performing at Rumi Fest in 2007.

When people think of dervishes, they often imagine the famous "whirling dance." This dance is most well-known from the Mevlevi order in Turkey. This special ceremony is called the Sema. While the Mevlevi order is famous for it, other Sufi groups also perform similar dances.

The Sema is a spiritual ceremony. It helps dervishes try to reach a deep feeling of religious joy and connection with God. This feeling is sometimes called "ecstasy" or "fana."

The Mevlevi order gets its name from the famous Persian poet, Rumi. Rumi was a dervish himself and lived in the 13th century. Even though the whirling dance is a serious spiritual practice, it has become a popular sight for tourists in Turkey.

Images for kids

An Ottoman Dervish, painted by Amedeo Preziosi around 1860.
The dance of the dervishes in Athens, Ottoman Greece, painted by Edward Dodwell.
A Mahdist Dervish from Sudan in 1899.
A Dervish Azerbaijani rug from the 19th century, Tabriz school.
Ottoman Dervishes painted by Amedeo Preziosi in Istanbul, 1857.
A Qajar-era Persian dervish in Tehran's Grand Bazaar, 1873.
An Ottoman Dervish in Istanbul, 1878.
Dervishes photographed by William H. Rau near Damascus, around 1903.
A Palestinian Dervish in 1913.
Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi, a leader of the Sudanese Dervishes.
Sufi kashkuls (beggar's bowls) were sometimes made from a coco de mer nut.
A Kashkul (beggar's bowl) with a painting of Dervishes, from 1280 AH (Islamic calendar).
A gathering of Dervishes in the Mughal Empire.
A family of Dervishes, possibly by Antoin Sevruguin.
The dance of the dervishes in Athens.
Sufi dervishes in Omdurman, Sudan.
Sayyid Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, leader of the Darawiish.
A Sheikh (leader) of the Rifa'i Sufi Order.

Dervish facts for kids

Whirling Dervishes and the Sema Ceremony

Images for kids

See also