Mevlevi Order facts for kids
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Turkish: Mevlevi Dergahi
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Seal of the Mevlevi
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| Abbreviation | Mevlevi |
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| Formation | 1273; 749 years ago |
| Founder | Veled |
| Founded at | Seljuk Sultanate |
| Type | Dervish order |
| Headquarters | Konya, Turkey |
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Membership
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ca. 2,000 as of 2015 |
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Makam Chalabi (Chief Master)
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Faruk Hemdem |
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Wali
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Rumi |
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Main organ
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Diyanet |
| Mevlevi Sema Ceremony | |
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UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
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Hodjapasha Culture Center is a restored Ottoman hamam (Turkish bath) in Istanbul's Sirkeci district now used for performances of the Mevlevi (whirling dervish) sema.
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| Country | Turkey |
| Reference | 100 |
| Region | Europe, Asia and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2008 (3rd session) |
The Mevlevi Order (also called Mawlawiyya) is a special group of Sufis. Sufism is a mystical branch of Islam. This group started in Konya, Turkey, way back in 1273. It was founded by followers of Jalaluddin Muhammad Balkhi Rumi. Rumi was a famous Persian poet and a deep thinker about Islam from the 1200s.
The Mevlevis are often called "whirling dervishes." This is because they have a famous practice of spinning around. They do this while performing dhikr, which means remembering God. A Dervish is a term for someone who is learning the Sufi way of life. The spinning is part of their special sema ceremony. The people who whirl are called semazens.
In 2005, UNESCO recognized "The Mevlevi Sema Ceremony." They called it one of the "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity." This means it's a very important cultural tradition.
Contents
What do Mevlevis believe and practice?
The Mevlevi Order is about 750 years old. It is a living tradition based on the teachings of Rumi. Rumi is also known as Mevlevi or Mevlana. He is one of the most famous Islamic poets. People also respect him as a mystic in Islam. Rumi's friend and teacher, Shams of Tabriz, is also highly respected.
Rumi taught that love is the most important part of Islam. A Mevlevi teacher named Şefik Can said that Rumi tells us to focus on loving God. He said we should look for the true meaning of faith. We should not just follow rules without understanding them.
Besides regular Islamic prayers, Mevlevis have other spiritual practices. Here are some of the main ones:
- Studying the Quran and Rumi's writings. His long poem, the Mathnavi, is very important.
- Muraqabah: This means trying to feel close to God.
- Sohbet: This is a special conversation led by a teacher.
- Sema: This is the famous whirling ceremony.
- Dhikr: This is repeating God's names. It is believed to make the heart pure.
- Adab: This means learning good manners and being mindful.
What is the Sema ceremony?
The most important Sema ceremony for Mevlevis is an annual celebration. It marks Rumi's "marriage to God," which means his death. This event is called Seb-i Arus. It means "Nuptial Night" or "Night of Union." It is celebrated for one week, ending on the day Rumi died. People from all over the world come to Konya for this celebration. It is so popular that you need tickets to attend.
Rumi wrote about whirling in many of his poems. In one poem, he said: Those who turn in the direction of prayer, whirl in both this world and the next.
Pay heed when a circle of friends whirl, circling round and round, the Kaaba is the center.
If you wish a mine of sugar, it is there; and if you wish a fingertip of sugar, it is gratis.
How did Sema begin?
A popular story says Rumi first started whirling when he heard goldsmiths hammering. This happened in Konya's market. However, some historians believe Rumi learned whirling from Shams of Tabriz. Others say whirling was done by Sufis even earlier. The Mevlevis have made it a very high art form. Some think whirling might come from ancient Central Asian traditions. There, shamans used spinning to reach different states of mind.
What do the movements and clothes mean?
The Sema ceremony is usually done in a special hall called a semahane. It follows a very exact ritual with deep meanings. The semazens whirl in a circle around their teacher. They use their right foot to push themselves in a counter-clockwise circle. Their left foot stays on the floor, acting like a pivot. Both arms are stretched out and raised. The right hand points up to receive God's grace. The left hand points down to share that grace with the world. With each spin, the semazen quietly chants "Allah." This is a form of dhikr.
The semazens enter wearing a black cloak called a hırka. This cloak stands for death and the grave. They take it off before they start whirling. On their heads, they wear a tall, brown hat called a sikke. This hat means a tombstone and the death of one's ego. Once their cloaks are off, their long white robes (tennûre) and white jackets (destegül) can be seen. These white clothes are symbols of coming back to life.
What happens during the ceremony?
The Sema ceremony has several parts:
Naat-i Sharif
The ceremony begins with a naat. This is a solo singer praising the Prophet Muhammad. It ends with a taksim. This is an improvised tune played on a reed flute (ney). The flute's sound represents God's breath giving life to everything.
Devr-i Veled
Next is the Sultan Veled walk. The semazens walk slowly and rhythmically to music. They slap the ground loudly. This represents God's act of creation when He said "Be!" They walk in a single line around the hall three times. As they start each round, they bow to the semazen in front and behind them. This bow shows they recognize the divine spirit in everyone. After this, the dervishes take off their black cloaks.
The Four Salams
The main part of the ceremony is made of four Salams (or Selams). These are different musical parts.
- The first selam is about a person finding truth and submitting to God.
- The second selam is about feeling joy when seeing God's beautiful creation.
- The third selam is about turning that joy into love. It's about giving up your own self to God.
- The fourth selam is about accepting your path in life. The semazen becomes a servant of God and all creation.
Quranic recitation
The ceremony ends with a reading from the Quran. It usually includes this verse: God is in the East and West. And wherever you turn, there is the face of God. (Quran 2:115)
History of the Mevlevi Order
How the order grew
Rumi's son, Sultan Veled, and Husameddin Chelebi started the order after Rumi died in 1273. Husameddin Chelebi was the one who inspired Rumi to write his famous Mathnavi. Sultan Veled was also a well-known poet. His songs are often sung during the sema ceremony. Both he and Husameddin Chelebi are respected as great Sufi mystics. They built Rumi's tomb in Konya. Many Muslims and others visit it today. Sultan Veled's son, Ulu Arif Chelebi, continued their work to build the order.
During the Ottoman times, the Mevlevi order spread widely. It reached places like the Balkans, Syria, Egypt, and Jerusalem. There were as many as 114 Sufi lodges. The order became very strong in the Ottoman Empire. This happened when Devlet Hatun, a relative of Sultan Veled, married Bayezid I. Their son, Mehmed I, became the next sultan. He and later sultans gave many benefits to the order. Many Mevlevi members held important jobs in the empire.
The Çelebis: Leaders of the Order
Today, Rumi's male descendants lead the Mevlevi Order. The head of the order is called Çelebi. This word means 'man of God' or 'noble'. The current Çelebi is Faruk Hemdem Çelebi. He also leads the International Mevlana Foundation. This foundation is a Turkish cultural group. Teachers who can teach Mevlevi practices are chosen by the Çelebi.
Artistic achievements
Rumi's Mathnavi and Diwan-e Shams-e Tabrizi are masterpieces of Persian literature. The Mevlevi Order has always been connected to the arts in Turkey. Many famous writers and musicians were Mevlevis. For example, Shaykh Ghalib Dede (died 1799) was a very important Mevlevi poet.
Many famous Turkish musicians were also Mevlevis. Mustafa Itri (1640–1712) is seen as a master of Turkish classical music. Ismail Dede (1778-1846) wrote music for the sema ceremony. Women like Dilhayat Khalifa (early 1700s) and Layla Saz (late 1800s) were also celebrated musicians.
The Mevlevi Regiment in World War I
During World War I, a group called the Mevlevi Regiment served in Syria and Palestine. It was part of the 4th Army. A battalion of about 800 dervishes was formed in 1914. They were sent to Damascus. Another group of soldiers joined them later. This unit fought until the end of the Palestine campaign. It was then disbanded in 1918.
Mustafa Kemal, who founded modern Turkey, met with Mevlevi members in 1923. This was before the order became illegal.
The 1925 ban in Turkey
In September 1925, Sufism was banned in Turkey. This happened under the new Turkish Republic led by Atatürk. Because of this, the Dervish lodge in Konya became the Mevlana Museum.
Even though the Sufi lodges had to close, Mevlevi practices still continue in Turkey. But they are done more privately. Sufism is still officially illegal in Turkey. So, sema ceremonies are now presented as cultural events. They are seen as historical performances, not as religious worship.
Outside the official Mevlevi Order, some groups perform "Mevlevi whirling." They often do this for tourists. But they are not connected to the real order.
Mevlevi Order in the West
In the late 1900s, the Mevlevi Order started to become known in the West. This was partly because Rumi's poems became very popular in English. A Mevlevi teacher named Suleyman Hayati Loras (Suleyman Dede) also helped. He visited the USA many times in the 1970s. Suleyman Loras chose some Westerners to be Mevlevi teachers. These included David Bellak and Kabir Helminski. He also sent his son, Jelaleddin Loras, to teach in America. David Bellak brought Suleyman Loras's teachings to Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1980.
Around this time, Mevlevi dervishes also began to perform the whirling ceremony for audiences in the West. They performed in London in 1971. In 1972, they toured North America for the first time. Since the 1990s, there have been many tours in the United States. Today, Mevlevis can be found all over the world.
Women in the Mevlevi Order
Rumi had many important female students. In the early days of the order, women were sometimes teachers and semazens. For example, Destina Khatun was a female teacher at a Mevlevi lodge.
In the early days, men and women often prayed, talked about spiritual things, and whirled together. Later, women often had their own semas separate from men. But in Rumi's time, spontaneous semas would happen with both men and women. In 1991, the head of the order, Celaleddin Bakir Çelebi, gave permission for men and women to whirl together again.
Images for kids
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Hodjapasha Culture Center is a restored Ottoman hamam (Turkish bath) in Istanbul's Sirkeci district now used for performances of the Mevlevi (whirling dervish) sema.
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Seal of the Mevlevi
See also
In Spanish: Mevleví para niños
