The Exalted Mevlana is a saint of love : gave his heart to the creator & he taught us to speak always of love & to love all creation as being from the Creator. UNESCO, United Nations' cultural body, aims to "build peace in the minds of men by promoting "the intellectual, cultural & moral solidarity of mankind." On its 60th year anniversary, UNESCO declared such cultural treasures of our planet as the Brazilian "Samba," Japanese "Kabuki" theatre,  Palestinian "Hikaye" narration & the Turkish "Sema" ceremony on its list of "Masterpieces of the Oral & Intangible Heritages of Humanity."
 
   
 


 

 
  Religious

Sufism - Mevlana

Diving - Paragliding

Golf

Thermal Spa's

Bird Watching

Skiing

Festivals

Handicrafts

Anatolian Villages		   Sufism & Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi                                      

UNESCO states that "wars begin in the minds of men and it is also in the minds of men that lasting peace must be constructed." In addition to building classrooms in devastated countries and publishing scientific breakthroughs, UNESCO also contributes to world peace by "promoting collaboration through education, science and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion."
UNESCO's objectives for our planet sound remarkably similar to the teachings of a Sufi mystic philosopher and poet who lived more than 700 years ago in the heartland of Anatolia. Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, welcomed all men and women, irrespective of religion, race or creed to the fundamental humanist ideals of peace, dialogue, mutual respect and fraternity for the mankind. Mevlana's doctrine advocates self development, awareness and knowledge through Love by observing unlimited tolerance, positive reasoning, goodness and charity. Here is one way in which Mevlana described himself:

My Mother is Love
My Father is Love
My Prophet is Love
My God is Love
I am a child of Love
I have come only to speak of Love

Mevlana and his dervish followers often practiced his Mevlevi Sufi philosophy in combination with a ceremonial whirling dance. This central ritual of the Mevlevi Sufi order, which is called a "Mevlevi Sema," is generally referred to in the West as the ceremony of "Whirling Dervishes." In a Sema ceremony, the whirling dervish becomes a rotating hypnotic blur, abandoning his earthly concerns to achieve spiritual union with God. His own Self and that of the Creator become one, just as the waves of an ocean are an inseparable part of a greater body.

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.

Sufism (tasawwuf) is the path followed by Sufis (adherents of Islamic mysticism) to reach the Truth—God. While this term usually expresses the theoretical or philosophical aspect of this search, its practical aspect is usually referred to as "being a dervish."

There are some who describe Sufism as seeing behind the "outer" or surface appearance of things and events and interpreting whatever happens in the world in relation to God. This means that a person regards every act of God as a window to "see" Him, lives his life as a continuous effort to view or "see" Him with a profound, spiritual "seeing" indescribable in physical terms, and with a profound awareness of being continually overseen by Him.

All of these definitions can be summarized as follows: Sufism is the path followed by an individual who is seeking to free himself or herself from human vices and weaknesses in order to acquire angelic qualities and conduct pleasing to God. Such a goal can be realized by living in accordance with the requirements of God's knowledge and love, and in the resulting spiritual delights that ensue. Sufism is based on observing even the most "trivial" rule of Shari'a in order to penetrate their inner meaning.

An initiate or traveler on the path (salik) never separates the outer observance of the Shari'a from its inner dimension, and therefore observes all of the requirements of both the outer and the inner dimensions of Islam. Through such observance, he or she travels toward the goal in utmost humility and submission.

Sufism, being a demanding path leading to knowledge of God, has no room for negligence or frivolity. It requires that the initiate should strive continuously, like a honeybee flying from the hive to flowers and from flowers to the hive, to acquire this knowledge. He should purify his heart from all other attachments, and resist all carnal inclinations, desires, and appetites. He should lead his life in a spiritual manner, always be ready to receive divine blessing and inspiration, and in strict observance of the example left behind by Prophet Muhammad. Convinced that attachment and adherence to God is the greatest merit and honor, he should renounce his own desires for the demands of God, the Truth.

Today, in Istanbul while the Tekkes and Tarikat's remain shut the whirling Derwish performance can be viewed at several locations such as the Sirkeci Train Station which is also where the Orient Express from Europe used to run. Other places such as Kusadasi, Cappadocia, Bursa, Konya also house the Whirling Dervishes. Please ask us for scheduled performances or if you are on a tour with us, ask your guide for performance times and places.

useful links:
http://www.mevlana800.info/index.html
http://www.rumi2007.net/
 		  
       

 
             

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