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Known
to the west as Whirling Dervishes, the members of the Mevlevi Order
(named for their founder
Mevlana) lived in what we might call coisters or monasteries -what to them
was a Mevlevihane. The one at Galata in Istanbul is a product of late
Ottoman architecture, and quite elloborate in having a tomb, a large cham
ber for the ceremony of the whirling dance, a fountain from which water was
charitably distributed to the public, a time keeper's room, cells for the
dervishes, separate quarters for the Master, a section for women, a chamber
of silence, a large ornate fountain for ablutions, and a laundry room.
The
Mevlevi Order founded by Mevlana is made up first and foremost
of tekyes(tekke) analogous to the monastaries of the West. The first of these
tekyes is named for Mevlana and was consi dered as the originator of
all the rest. One figure stands out in the early spread of the order: Divani
Mehmet Celebi. The celebis or gentle ones who went out to break
new ground and make converts saw themselves as disciples of this great master,
and an astonishing number of tekyes were established during Divani
Mehmet celebi's lifetime and thanks to his efforts; in Aleppo, Egypt and Algeria,
on the islands of Chios and Mitilene, and of course on the Turkish mainland.
The Galata Mevlevihane is among these latter.
The
rituals of the Rumi's followers (Whirling Dervishes) are among the enduring
as well as the most exquisite ceremonies of spirituality.
The
ritual whirling of the dervishes is an act of love and a drama of faith. It
posseses a highly structured form within which the gentle turns become increasingly
dynamic as the individual dervishes strive to achieve a state of trans. The
music that accompanies the whirling from beginning to end ranges from somber
to rhapsodical; its effect is intended to be mesmerizing. Chanting of postry,
rhythmic rotation, and incessant music create a synthesia which, according
to the faithful, induces a feeling of soaring, of ecstasy, of mystical flight.
The
Mevlevi sect belongs to the Sunni or orthodox mainstream of Islam. Its doctrine
never developed a revolutionary strategy-and although it was occasionally
criticized for its heretical ideas, it always enjoyed the respect of the officialdom.
Many later Sultans, including Mehmed, the Conqueror of Istanbul, were enamored of Mevlevi ideals. The reformist Sultan Selim III was virtually a member. Suleyman, probably the greatest of the Sultans, held the Mevlevi dervishes in high esteem and their semahane(whirling hall) constructed for them as his imperial gift. The hall/mosque stands next to Rumi's mausoleum.
The
Whirling Dervishes played a vitally important part in the evolution of Ottoman
high culture. From the fourteenth to the 
twentieth
century , their impact on classical poetry, calligraphy, and the visual arts
was profound, while music was perhaps their greatest achievement. Since the
dogmatists of Islam's orthodoxy opposed music as being harmful to the listener
and detrimental to religous life, no sacred music or mosque music evolved
except for the Mevlud, a poem in praise of the Prophet, chanted on
high occasions or as arequiem. Rumi and his followers integrated music into
their rituals as an article of faith. In his verses, Rumi emphasized that
music uplifts our spirit to realms above, and we hear the tunes
of the Gates of Paradise. The meeting places of the dervishes, consequently,
became academies of art, music, and dance. Today, the performances of The
Whirling Dervishes includes twelve musicians (on traditional Turkish instruments)
and 12 dancers. There is also a master of ceremony. A per formance
is broken into two parts with the introduction conducted by the master
followed by 3 or 4 pieces of music. This is followed by a 4-part whirling
ceremony.
The
fundamental condition of our existence is to revolve. There is no object,
no being which does not revolve. The shared similarity between all created
things is the revolution of the electrons, protons, and neutrons within the
atoms that constitute their basic structure. From the smallest cell to the
planets and the farthest stars, everything takes part in this revolving. Thus,
The Semazens, the ones who whirl, participate consciously in the shared
revolution of all existence.
The
Sema ceremony represents a spiritual journey; the seeker's turning toward
God and truth, a maturing through love, the transformation of self as a way
of union with God, and the return to life as the servant of all creation.
The Semazen ( with a camel's-felt hat representing a tombstone and a wide white skirt symbolizing the
death shroud), upon removing his black cloack, is spiritually born to Truth. The semazens stand with their arms crossed, ready to begin their turn. In their erect posture, they represent the number one, testifying to God's unity. Each rotationtakes them past the sheikh, who stands on a red sheep skin. This is the place of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi , and the sheikh is understood to be a channel for the divine grace. At the start of each of the four movements of the ceremony, the semazens bow to each other honoring the spirit within. As their arms unfold, the right hand opens to the skies in prayer, ready to receive God's beneficience. The left hand, upon which his gaze rests, is turned towards the earth in the gesture of bestowal.
Fix-footed, the semazen provides a point of contact with this earth through
which the divine blessings can flow. Turning from right to left, he embraces
all creation as he chants the name of God within the heart. The Sema ritual
consists of seven parts: 
1.
2.
3.The third part is an instrumental improvisation "taksim" with a reed "ney." It represents the first breath which gives life to everything. The Divine Breath
4.The
fourth part is the "dervishes" greetings to each other and their thrice repeated
circular walk "Devr-i Veled," with the accompaniment of a music called "peshrev."
It symbolize the salutation of soul to soul concealed by shapes and bodies.
- 5.The fifth
part is the Sema (whirling). It consists of four salutes or "Selam"s. At the
end of each as in the onset, the dervish
testifies by his appearance to God's unity.
*The first salute is man's birth to truth by feeling and mind. His complete conception of the existence of God as Creator and his state of creature.
*The second salute expresses the rapture of man witnessing the splendor of creation, in front of God's greatness and omnipotence.
*The third salute is the transformation of rapture into love and thereby the sacrifice of mind to love. It is a complete submission, it is annihilation of self with in the loved one, it is unity. This state of ecstasy is the highest grade in Buddhism, defined as "Nirvana" and in Islam "Fenafillah." However, the highest rank in Islam is the rank of the Prophet, he is called God's servant first and his messenger afterwards. The aim of Sema is not unbroken ecstasy and loss of conscious thought. At the termination of this salute, he approves again by his appearance, arms crosswise the Unity of God, consciously and feelingly.
*The forth salute
Just as the Prophet ascends till the "Throne" and then returns to his task
on earth, the whirling dervish reaching 
the
state of "Fenafillah," return to his task in creation, to his state of subservience
following the termination of his spiritual journey and his ascent. He is a
servant of God, of his Books, of his Prophets and all his creation.
6. At
the sixth part Sema ends with a reading of the Quran and specially of the
verse from sura Bakara 2, verse 115, "Unto God belong the East and the West,
and whither over ye turn, you are faced with Him. He is All-Embracing, All-Knowing."
One of the beauties of this seven-centuries-old ritual is the way that it
unifies the three fundamental components of man's nature; mind, emotion, and
spirit, combining them in a practice and a worship that seeks the purification
of all three in the turning towards Divine Unity. But most significantly,
the enrichment of this earth and the well-being of humanity as a whole.