Şeb-i Arus festival in Konya

The right hand lifted upward to receive blessings and energy from heaven, the left hand turned downward to spread these blessing on the earth. The dervishes form a circle in harmony with the music, their bodies turn from right to left to embrace all of creation with love and intensify to reach a spiritual exaltation.

Every year, thousands of pilgrims gather in Konya to celebrate "Şeb-i Arus", the anniversary of Mevlana's death which reprezents the reunion with his Beloved, with the Divine. The poet Rûmi, also known as "Mevlana" (our master) is the founder of the Mevlevi Sufi order. The Mevlevi are known for the Sema, their famous whirling dances practiced by the dervishes. The Sema ceremony, in seven parts, represents the mystical journey of an individual on their ascent through mind and love to union with the Divine.

The right hand lifted upward to receive blessings and energy from heaven, the left hand turned downward to spread these blessing on the earth. The dervishes form a circle in harmony with the music, their bodies turn from right to left to embrace all of creation with love and intensify to reach a spiritual exaltation.

A Sema ceremony in Konya during the anniversary of Mevlana's death. The Mevlevi are known for their famous whirling dances practiced by the dervishes. The Sema ceremony, in seven parts, represents the mystical journey of an individual on their ascent through mind and love to union with the Divine.

On December the 17th, people got together in front of the Mevlana Mausoleum to commemorate Mevlana's death.

Sufi devotees mostly from Turkey and Iran gather every night in different Dargah (shrine built over the grave of Sufi saint or dervish) around the Mevlana Mausoleum, to sing Rumi's poems.