The Mevlana Festival and the Mevlevi Sema
Political Map of Turkey. Source: http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/
Abstract
This webpage examines Mevlana Festival of Konya , Turkey . This webpage specifically examines the sema, a communion ceremony of which is a component of the annual festival. The origins of the sema are examined. Also the presentation of this ceremony is covered in detail. The heavy symbolisms of this ceremony as well as the liminal aspects of this religious communion are interpreted and discussed. In addition the economic, political and religious significance to Turkey 's Culture is addressed.
Figure 2:
The skirts
of the dervish form bell-like shapes while spinning. Source:
http://www.emav.org/gallery/largeimages/res6.htm Figure 3:
Dervishes
turning in a octagonal hall with the Sheikh in the center. Source: http://www.emav.org/gallery/largeimages/res19.htm
Introduction
The Mevlana Festival and the ceremonies which comprise it held in Konya Turkey are rich in several respects. The most famous component of the ceremonies involved with the Mevlana Festival is the Whirling Dervish dance, which is a trance-like twirling dance representing the dervish's union with God. The Mevlana Festival starts December 2 nd and lasts 16 days (And 1977: 1). The Mevlana Festival includes the Mevlevi sema. This sema is a highly symbolic, liminal communion and is culturally significant in the realms of religion, politics, and economics.
Context of Turkey
The country of Turkey is located where the continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe meet. Turkey 's geographical coordinates are 39 00 N and 35 00 E (Central 2004).
Turkey 's middle eastern borders are Iran , Syria , Georgia and Armenia . Turkey 's European borders are Greece and Bulgaria . Turkey also sits on the Mediterranean Sea, black sea, and sea of Marma , which provide the Turks living in the coastal regions with a very mild climate. The climate of Turkey , overall, is quite temperate, however the interior section of turkey experiences more extreme summers and winters. (Republic 2004)
Turkey was created in 1923 from parts of the old Ottoman Empire . Since 1945 Turkey has been a member of the UN and since 1952 Turkey has been a member of NATO. Turks are primarily Sunni Muslim, however there is no standard religion set by the democratic government in place. The primary industry in Turkey is agriculture taking up 40 percent of the employment of Turks. The most important industry of turkey is that of its textile and clothing. (Central 2004)
Origins of the Sema
The Mevlevi order is one of the best known of the Sufi orders of Islam. The name comes from the name of Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, also known as Mevlana ( "Mawlawiy(y)a" 2000). Mevlana was a great mystic poet of the 13 century (“Jalal al-Din Rumi” 2000). Followers of Mevlana began the Mevlevi order after his death in 1273. The Mevlevi are called “The Whirling Dervishes” because of their trancelike dance called a sema. The sema is believed to bring one in unification with God in a trancelike ecstasy. The movements in the dance of the “Whirling Dervishes” could have come from the Pythagorean schools where dances were performed in which a person turned to the ratio of a particular planet in the universe (Friedlander 1992: 114). In 1923
Turkey outlawed the Mevlevi order during its secular revolution (Friedlander 1992: 117). About thirty years later the Turkish government, seeing the opportunity for tourism, allowed the Mevlevi to perform annually during the anniversary of Mevlana's death in Konya , Turkey . The Mevlana Festival is the anniversary of Mevalana's death. As of today the “Whirling Dervishes” have performed their sema all over the world. (And 1977)
Performance
The performance begins with the dervishes standing in an often octagonal shaped hall (Figure 4). The dervishes are wearing long white gowns which are covered by dark cloaks. A dervish also wears a tall, tan-colored felt hat called a sikke. First, a eulogy to Muhammad is read. A drumbeat follows the eulogy and is representative of the Divine command to create the universe. This drumbeat is followed by the playing of a ney (reed flute); this signifies “the Divine Breath, which gives life to everything.” The Sultan Veled Walk now begins with this music. The dervishes circle the hall three times, stopping to bow to each other each time. At the last stop, they all bow and at the same time remove their black cloaks revealing white gowns. They then prepare to turn. As the selams, or musical movements, begin the dervishes turn counter-clockwise with their arms out, right palm held upward and left palm held downward. As the dervishes turn their skirts open up in a bell fashion (Dance Magazine 2001). There are four selams in the sema ritual. After the four selams, the ceremony concludes with each of the dervishes, musicians, and turners lining up in front of the sheikh (chief), each kissing the hand of the sheikh. Then each dervish kisses the hand of the dervishes who have passed before them in the line. All participants then leave and the ceremony is concluded. (Sufism and Dervishes 2004)
Artifact
. 
An octagonal hall used for the sema ceremony.
Interpretation
Prognosis for the Sema
The sema looks to have a strong future. In 1923 the Mevlevi order was outlawed and greatly restricted the performance of the sema. After the 1950's however, the Turkish government realized the whirling dervishes' potential for tourism and has since allowed performances in Turkey and all around the world. Due to the world-wide acceptance of the sema as a rich cultural celebration it is to be expected that it will continue to be celebrated for a long time. (Knowledgerush 2004)
Conclusion
The Mevlana Festival is one of Turkey 's rich cultural celebrations of which the sema plays an important role. The sema is highly symbolic liminal communion which takes place in Konya , Turkey . The sema exhibits communitas, a feature of liminality. Also, it communicates the sacra through the trance-like dance which brings the dervishes in union with God. In the last century the sema has increasingly become an important part of Turkey 's economic, political and religious realms. The sema is a fascinating example of liminal communion which has a place in the world for a long time to come.
Internet References Cited
- Celebi, Celalettin. Sema, the Universal Movement. 2004.
http://www.sufism.org/society/sema1.htmlCreated by The Threshold Society, a non-profit educational foundation affiliated with the Mevlevi order.
- Knowledgerush. 2004. Jalal al-Din Muhammad
Rumi.
http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/jsp/db/facts.jsp?title=Jalal+al-Din+Muhammad+RumiAn online encyclopedia reference which was created by Knowledgerush.
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Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2004. The Annual Mevlana Festival in Konya.
http://www.mfa.gov.tr/grupc/default.htm
An informative online page regarding the Mevlana festival created by the Republic of Turkey .
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Sufism and Dervishes. 2004. The Whirling Dervishes of Rumi.
http://www.whirlingdervishes.org/whirlingdervishes.htmA webpage discussing the sema, organized by The Institute of Interfaith Dialog.
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The Art of Middle Eastern Dance (by Shira). 2004. Scenes from Turkey : Whirling Dervishes.
http://www.shira.net/dervturk.htm
A educational webpage looking at the history and meaning associated with the whirling dervishes created by a dance instructor by the name of Shira.
Peer-Reviewed References Cited
- And, Metin.
1977 The Mevlana Ceremony [ Turkey ] (in Annual Performance) The Drama Review: TDR , 21(3):83-94.
Central Intelligence Agency
The CIA World Fact Book -- Turkey . Electronic document, http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/tu.html, accessed 20 September 2004.
Dance Magazine
2001. Sacred Dance. Dance Magazine, December: 64. Academic Search Premier.
Friedlander, Shems. The Whirling Dervishes . New York : New York Press,
1992.
"Jalal al-Din Rumi" The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions . Ed.
John Bowker. Oxford University Press, 2000. Oxford Reference Online . Oxford University Press. Miami University , Ohio .
"Mawlawiy(y)a" The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions . Ed.
John Bowker. Oxford University Press, 2000. Oxford Reference Online . Oxford University Press. Miami University , Ohio .
Turner, Victor and Turner, Edith. Relgious Celebrations. Electronic document,
http://blackboard.muohio.edu/courses/1/20051013953/content/_192331_1/Religious_Celebrations.pdf, accessed 21 October, 2004.