Attend a Dervish whirling ceremony in Turkey

“As the ceremony started I was mesmerized by the dervishes’ (made up of men and boys) concentration, and technique. This was not just a dance – it was a spiritual ceremony of motion in which they clearly were operating at a different level than all of us watching. I felt a rush of air as my scarf was nearly blown off from the wind that was created from the whirling of the heavy dervish skirts. Their arms, now unfolded, were slowly and perpetually performing one of the four salutes to God during the entire ceremony. Then after about 40 minutes the twirling wind on my face suddenly stopped. And there they all stood with their arms wrapped tightly against their body again in their unity position. I watched each of them stand solid as a rock, no dizziness, no swaying, nothing. I was shocked. I could see the beads of sweat drip off their faces reminding me that even though it looked like fluid easy movement – it wasn’t.– it was work.”

“I jolted in my seat as the five cloaked mystics slapped their palms to the ground and rose in unison. The entire room was silent and you could feel an inexplicable energy in the air. Here I was sitting in a 550-year-old hammam in Istanbul filled with several hundred people, about to witness a spiritual dance so private yet intriguing. The ceremony began with an ensemble playing an array of musical instruments I had never seen nor heard before. Cloaked in black, the dervishes emerged and made their way to the middle of the room. There were bows, slow footsteps and muttered prayers, but the entire experience was a mystery to everyone watching as there was no narration explaining what was happening. Slowly, one by one the dervishes began to whirl themselves into position. It began with a gentle spin counter-clockwise which gained momentum as they raised their arms into the heavens, and their skirts slowly began to flair and rise. I almost felt like a bit of an intruder to be watching someone undergo a spiritual journey before my eyes, yet at the same time, it was the kind of thing where I couldn’t stop looking. It was fascinating.”

“The ceremony starts off quietly and slowly. Once the dervishes start to whirl, they are mesmerising to watch; much like white spinning tops in a circle. And the way they chant almost sent me into a trance myself. I found it fascinating and hypnotic to watch. But this kind of performance is not for everybody. For a start, it is fairly long (almost an hour and a half) and it is very monotonous. Some people had brought babies to the ceremony with them, who mostly started crying at some point. Also, the music and chanting involved in the ceremony would not be to some peoples’ taste. Having already spent several weeks in Turkey, I was used to the traditional style music and the sound of the call to prayer, however if you were new to the culture, it might not be your cup of tea.”