Sema, the whirling dervish ceremony, is the inspiration of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi (1207- 1273) as well as part of Turkish custom, history, beliefs, and culture. Sema has seven parts and each part symbolizes a stage of the mystic journey to perfection called ascension ("Miraç"in Turkish). Contemporary science definitely confirms that the fundamental condition of our existence is to revolve. There is no object or being which does not revolve, and the commonality amongst beings is the revolution of the electrons and protons in their atoms, which constitute all things from the smallest particles to the stars in the sky. As a consequence of this similarity, everything revolves and man carries on his life, his very existence by means of the revolution in his atoms, in the structural elements of his body, by the circulation of his blood, by his coming from the earth and return to it, and by revolving with the earth itself. However, all of these are natural, unconscious revolutions. But man is the possessor of a mind and intelligence which distinguishes him from and makes him superior to other beings. Thus, the whirling dervishes ("Semazen"in Turkish) cause their minds to participate in the shared similarity and revolution of all other beings. The Sema ceremony represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to perfection( "Kemal"in Turkish).Turning towards the truth, a dervish grows through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth, and arrives at "Perfection. Then he returns from this spiritual journey as a man who reached maturity and a greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service to all of creation, and to all creatures without discriminating in regard to belief, class, or race. The dervishes, with their head-dresses (representing the ego's tombstone), their white skirts (representing the ego's shroud) are spiritually born to the truth by removing their black cloaks, and they journey and advance to spiritual maturity through the stages of the Sema ceremony. At the onset and at each stage of the Sema ceremony, holding their arms in a criss- cross position, they represent the number one, and testify to God's unity. While whirling, their arms open, their right hands directed towards the sky and ready to receive God's beneficence, gazing up, they turn their left hands towards the earth and turn from right to left, pivoting around the heart. This is his way of conveying God's spiritual gift to the people upon whom God "looks with a divine"watchfulness. Revolving around the heart, from right to left, they embrace all of humankind, and all of creation with affection and love. THE SEMA CEREMONY CONSISTS OF SEVERAL PARTS WITH DIFFERENT MEANINGS... 1- It starts with a eulogy "Nat-i serif"to the Prophet, Muhammad, who represents love and all prophets before him. To praise them is praising God, who created all of them. 2- This eulogy is followed by a drum sound symbolizing the Divine order of the Creator... "Kun=Be!" 3- Then follows an instrumental music improvisation ("taksim'in Turkish) with a reed wind instrument called a "ney", which represents the first breath which gave life to everything: The Divine breath. 4- The fourth part is where the dervishes greet each other and perform their thrice repeated circular walk called the "Devri Veledi”, accompanied by music called “peshrev". This part symbolizes the salutation of soul to soul concealed by shapes and bodies. 5- The fifth part is the Sema (whirling), which consists of four salutes or "selams". At the end of each salute, as in the onset, the dervish testifies to God's unity with his appearance. A- first salute is man's birth into truth through feeling and the mind. It represents his complete conception of the ecstasy of God as the creator and his own state of being. B- second salute expresses the rapture of man witnessing the splendor of creation in front of God's greatness and omnipotence. C- The third salute is the dissolution of rapture into love and thereby the sacrifice of the mind to love. It is complete submission; it is the annihilation of self in the loved one, in His unity. This state of ecstasy is known as "Nirvana"in Buddhism and "Fenafillah" in Islam. In Buddhism, this is the highest state of ecstasy. However, the highest rank in Islam is the rank reached by the Prophet: He is called God's servant foremost and subsequently his messenger. The aim of Sema is not unbroken ecstasy and loss of conscious thought, but realization of submission to God. D- The fourth salute: Just as the Prophet ascended to the "Throne"and then returned to his task on earth, the whirling dervishes, following the termination of their spiritual journey and ascent, return to their tasks and to their state of subservience. "He is a servant of God, of His Books, of His Prophets and all the creation..." (Sura Bakara 2, verse 285). At the end of their salute, they demonstrate this again with their appearance, arms criss-crossed over the chests to represent the unity of God, consciously and feelingly. 6- The sixth part of the Sema is a reading from the Quran, especially of the verse "Unto God belong the East and the West, and wherever you turn, there is God's countenance. He is All- embracing, All-Knowing" (Surah Baqarah 2, verse 115). 7- The Sema ceremony ends with a prayer for peace of the souls of all Prophets and all believers. After the completion of the "Sema" ceremony, all the dervishes return silently to their cells for meditation ❌ Whats not included in this tour? ▪ Lunch ▪ Personal expenses