Whirling Dervishes

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The  Sema
Following  their sheyh and coming along with the rhythm of ayin music, the dervishes  turned around the sema hall three times. Since a certain distance  had to  be kept between the dervishes who walked at a leisurely pace by whispering  the name of God, this walk required a  great skill and a  good musical  ear. It was the sheyh who oriented the semazens to sema ritual. He rose from the
sheepskin, saluted the  community  and  walked slowly (by turning  his  back  to  semazens). As soon as he  took three  steps, the following  dervish  halted in front of sheepskin, situated at the end of  invisible line. Each dervish  saluted (feet  remaining  sealed) and  jumped over the line by rising his  right foot first. Once, he was on the other side of the line, he turned  from left to right without turning his back to the sheepskin. In the meantime, the next dervish  waited  on the other side of the line.  They  always kept the position of the sealed feet,  looked into each other's eyes and saluted. All the Dervishes followed the same  behavior in successive order. According to the Mevlevi interpretation, this was the salute of the spirits hidden beyond  garments.

 

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Whirling Dervishes

 

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