Dervish: Muslim religious man who is undergoing an apprenticeship of
learning the profession that will bestow him with eternal livelihood. Whirling
is one of the various methods, which is used by the Sufis (Islamic ascetics) to
get closer to their revered Allah (God). Whirling Dervishes perform near the
Mevlevi Museum in Konya. The Mevlevi or Mevleviye is the most renowned Sufi order, which was
founded by Celaleddin Mevlana Rumi in 1273 and most of the Whirling Dervishes in
Turkey come from this faith.
On a recent trip to Turkey my travels led me to the Whirling Dervish cave just outside Konya, where my husband and I had the opportunity to experience the true Whirling Dervishes; not the ones you find in the nightclubs of Cairo, Istanbul and other tourist magnets. The Whirling Dervishes who are humbled and dedicated to their Sufi beliefs. As they took up the stage for the evening ritual, the cave was dimly lit, moist, and cradling the soul was the euphoric music being played by Sufi musicians. One hand to the heavens and the other on earth, they began to whirl into enchantment. Mystical, enigmatic, and delicately transcending.
Goddess meets the Buddha 