Category Archive: Turkey

Understand the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey

For many travelers to Turkey, sampling the Turkish cuisine rates at the top of the to-experience list.  After all the basic sightseeing is finished, and visitors move to some of the cultural experiences that the country has to offer, watching the whirling dervishes usually ranks high on the list. Often erroneously considered a folk dance troupe or some sort of trance inducing dance, the dervishes are more aligned with religion and philosophy than with entertainment.  The ritual dancing is based on the teaching of the Persian philosopher and poet Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi who, along with his son, founded the Sufi Order.  Sufis are part of the Sunni sect of Islam, and Mevlana Rumi’s teachings emphasized tolerance and patience, not revolutionaries, and their belief is that unification with God will occur through the constant movement of the universe. Okay, we […]

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