unesco intangible cultural heritage
TRANSCRIPT
UNESCOIntangible Cultural Heritage
The Mevlevi Sema Ceremony- Turkey
Originating in Sufi tradition, the Mevleviye dance groups are famous
for their practice of whirling dances.
Accompanied by a musical repertoire that combines elements of Turkish and Persian
music, the dancers rotate for several hours, seeking to feel closer to the divine.
In this stark and striking photo, a young man in white robes is dancing
gracefully with his eyes closed and arms upheld. His body fills the centre of the photo. The setting is dark and most likely
inside; the man is dancing on a red wooden
floor against a black background.
Light illuminates his white-clothed body casting a deep shadow behind that merges with the darkness and soft blue shadows in the folds of his robes. He
appears to be whirling in a circle, his long skirt flaring
outwards to form a triangle. On his torso he wears a plain white tunic
with a round collar, unfastened at the waist.
On his head rests a long tall plain
brown hat. His arms are bent upwards forming an arch
over his shoulders, his fingers pointing inwards. His face
points right, but his expression shows
complete dedication and immersion
to his dance.
The Mevleviye is an ascetic Sufi order
founded in 1273 in Konya, from where it
gradually spread throughout the Ottoman
Empire. Today, the Mevleviye can be found
in many Turkish communities throughout the world, but the most
active and famous centres of the order’s
activity are in Konya and Istanbul.
Mevlâna Jelaleddin Rumî is among Islam's
greatest poets and
mystic philosophers
. (1207-1273)
come, come again, whoever you are, come!heathen, fire worshipper or
idolatrous, come!
come even if you broke your
penitence a hundred times,
ours is the portal of hope, come as you
are .
Be as a river on benevolence and
munificenceBe as the sun on
benignity and compassion
Be as a night on concealing the blots
of the othersBe as the dead on
anger and furyBe as the earth on
humility and modesty
Be as the sun on tolerance
Be as you look or look
as you are
MusicTurkish Classical Music
Acemkurdi Pesrev
İbrahim DALJULY 2009