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WHIRLING DERVISHES
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While many have heard about the Whirling Dervishes,
few know exactly who they are and what they are doing. The Dervishes
are an order of Sufism also known as Mevleviye. Sufism is a branch
of Islamic mysticism. One of the most well known adherents to Sufism
is the Turkish poet Yunus Emre. It is likely that like other Islamic
mystics, he performed the spinning dance - also known as a dhikr -
as well. The dance they are doing is a mysticism method of
remembering Allah through their spinning style of meditation.
Their esoteric motions render the dancers oblivious to all around
them as they focus their thoughts on Allah, but onlookers never
cease to be amazed at the fluid movements of these dancers. The
ceremony of the dance is called the sema. The Dervishes spin in
order to make a greater connection with Allah, and the whirling
brings them into a trance where they are unaware of any external
forces - including dizziness. Since the first president of the
modern nation of Turkey - President Ataturk - ruled in the early
1900s, Turkey took a secular turn and the religious practice of the
Whirling Dervish was banned. Today, the Whirling Dervishes are
performed for tourists who wish to view them. It is a real taste of
the exotic for any traveler to the region.
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