Whirling Dervishes

At many restaurants here a main attraction is the belly dancer and the whirling dervish.  After reading about the colonial sexualization belly dancing, what is originally a spiritual dance, I can’t bear to watch women belly dancing, especially white women in the States who use it as a form of getting in touch with their erotic nature for exercise.  And I feel strange participating in the exploitation of Sufism, in which whirling is an avenue to God, for entertainment while I eat.  I heard about a group of dancers from a monastery who perform the sacred Sema, a prayer in Sufism written by Rumi, as a means of educating people about the religion.  It is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture.  Dani and I went last night. 

It was a very moving experience, no pun intended.  If you know me, you know that I cried several times.  The musicians played for about twenty minutes and then the dervishes entered in black robes, which they took off for the prayer.  In tall hats and long white robes, they start to turn with their arms crossed on their chests and their hands on their shoulders.  As they turn, they release their arms, tough their stomachs and begin to raise their arms over their chests, their faces, and their hats, ending with their arms up in the air, one hand to the earth and one hand to Heaven.  I expected that the turning would be frenetic and quick, but it is quite slow and very rhythmic, a bit like watching a ballet dancer pirouette. Each monk turns a little differently, one with his head deeply tilted, one with his arms symmetrical to his body, one with his eyes open.  Rather than being this wild spinning, the whirling is lyrical and meditative. 

The music was beautiful, with traditional instruments like the ney being played. 

I am so glad that this was the experience of another religious expression I could experience. 

One of my favorite Rumi quotations:

“Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again, come, come.”