Konya, Turkey, 13th century
WHIRLING DERVISH (SEMA)
The Sufi whirl of Konya
The Sema ("audition") is the Sufi ritual of the Mevlevi order, founded in Konya, Anatolia, in the 13th century by the disciples of Rūmī (Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī, 1207-1273), Persian poet and mystic. The dancers, called "semazen" (often translated in the West as "whirling dervishes"), spin slowly on their own axis for 30 to 45 minutes, in a meditative trance symbolizing the soul's spiritual journey toward God.
Banned under Atatürk in 1925 along with other religious orders, the ritual was permitted again from 1953 as "cultural heritage." It is now inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list (2008). Every year on December 17th in Konya, the Şeb-i Arûs commemorates Rūmī's mystical union with the divine — his death in 1273.
How it's danced
Technique & figures
The Sema is not a choreography but a structured spiritual ritual. The semazen spins on their axis for 30 to 45 minutes, the left foot remaining the fixed pivot (representing the Kaaba), the right foot propelling the body into a slow rotation. The right arm is raised toward the sky (receiving divine grace), the left arm points toward the ground (transmitting to the earth).
Styles and fundamentals
The ritual unfolds in seven parts (Selâm), preceded by a recitation from the Quran, an improvisation on the ney (reed flute), and a chant of Rūmī's mystical poetry. The semazen wears a tennure (flared white skirt), a hirka (black coat symbolizing the tomb, removed at the start of the turn), and a sikke (tall felt hat representing the tombstone).
Main figures
- 01
The turn (semâ)
A slow rotation around the axis of the left foot, for 15 to 45 minutes without interruption. The heart of the ritual.
- 02
Arm position
Right arm, palm toward the sky (receiving), left arm, palm toward the ground (transmitting). Symbolizes the divine circulating through the human being.
- 03
Opening of the arms
After removing the black hirka, the arms open like two wings. The spiritual birth of the semazen.
- 04
Tilt of the head
The head is slightly tilted to one side, helping to find a stable axis within the rotation.
- 05
The sheikh's kiss
An entrance ritual: each semazen kisses the sheikh's hand before entering the round.
Reading the music
Classical Ottoman music: ney (reed flute, the main instrument), kudüm (small drum), rebab (bowed lute), and vocal chant. Compositions by Sadeddin Nüzhet Ergun, Itri, or more recently Kudsi Erguner.
Did you know?
Explore the rhythms
Cross connections
Styles from other families that share a common language with Whirling Dervish (Sema).