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Tuesday, 16 December 2014

W for Whirling Dervishes

The Whirling Dervishes of Konya.

 
 
 

Mevlana Museum in Konya .

Konya is the spiritual home of Meulevi, (Whirling Dervishes)  a Sufi order of holy men,  founded in this sacred city. Konya  was formerly the capital of ancient Anatolia a region in southern Turkey. 

 

 

This the smallest hand written Koran in the world which is housed in the museum.

 

The museum is also a mosque and mausoleum  There are several tombs of Sultans and important holy men, including Jalalad Din Muhammad Balki-Rumi a thirteen century Persian Sufi mystic. He was a poet, Islamic jurist and theologian.  He was also  known as  Meulana or Sifi.

His most devout followers were the Whirling Dervishes, known as such, due to their famous practice of whirling as a form of Dhikr  (Remembrance of God).

 

We have had many wonderful holidays in Turkey and I can't fault any of them.... Each one a different place and a new experience!

The Turkish people are a most welcoming nation known for their  and hospitality.  Their cuisine is divine, we've had so many memorable meals  it would take some time to tell you about them !

Here is one of my favourite dishes, it is called Iman Bayildi.

 

The yarn behind it is that a Sultan liked it so much that fainted in rapturous delight.
 
 
 

To see the Whirling Dervishes perform live in their spiritual home was a most wonderful, wholesome uplifting experience, something we shall never forget..... truly WONDROUS ! 

My sincere thanks to the winsome  Denise for devising ABCW and to the ever watchful Roger who works so hard in keeping us all on our toes!

 

22 comments:

  1. It must be fascinating to watch them perform live.

    w is for

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  2. Hi Marcy, It was amazing, ethereal and very moving, Thanks for dropping by,
    I don't think I did the Dervishes justice so will write more when I have the opportunity,

    Best wishes,
    Di ABCW team.

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  3. I would love to see that performance.

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  4. You're a bit of a whirling dervish yourself!

    ROG, ABCW

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  5. Dervishes look wonderful.
    To me, they depict devotion.
    I love the looks of the dish! wanna try it out :)

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  6. The dancers look graceful!
    Hope to visit Turkey some day.
    Happy ABCW!

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  7. Hi Rajesh, thanks for dropping by.
    The performance is well worth watching.
    There are several places in Turkey where you can see the Dervishes perform as they tour around. They do go on International tour too, it may be worth Googling to see if they are in your Country at any time!
    Best wishes,

    Di,
    ABCW team.

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  8. I have seen them in on my round trip through Turkey, amazing what they do !

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  9. Hi Roger... Whirling Dervish moi ?
    I don't know about that but
    I've been known to be able to spin a yarn or two !

    Best wishes,

    Di x

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  10. Anita It was a spiritual dance a sort of prayer, for that reason we were not allowed to photograph them.

    best wishes,

    Di.

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  11. Anita: they are truly devotional in their theology and prayers.
    The recipe for the aubergine dish is on my blog site somewhere or just google it, simple and delicious...I cook it quite often.

    Best wishes.

    Di.
    ABCW team

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  12. Gattina, thanks for stopping by and your comments. I was amazed at the sheer spirituality of the whole event, truly awe inspiring !

    Best Wishes,

    Di xx

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  13. Hi Trubes! It must have been a great sight to those Dervishes whirling around!
    Best wishes,
    Wil , ABCW Team.

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  14. Terrific post...had read about whirling dervishes but to see them would be wonderful♪ http://lauriekazmierczak.com/woodlands/

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  15. Hi Reader Wil,
    Good to hear from you and thank you for your kind comments.
    Yes the Whirling Dervishes were a sight to behold, I forgot to mention the traditional Turkish musicians that accompanied them, they all played strange looking, ancient instruments, that produced a wonderful sound.

    Best wishes,
    Di.
    ABCW team.

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  16. Lmkazmerczak:
    Good to hear from you and thank you for your kind comments.
    It was a truly wonderful experience to see them, a real spiritual uplifting,

    Best wishes,
    Di. x

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  17. wonderful whirling dervishes - well done Di xx

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  18. Dear FP, thank you for your kind words, so much appreciated.
    Hope you're feeling better now,

    love Di XX

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  19. I didn't know that about the dervishes!

    In case I don't get by again, have a wonderful Christmas, Di!

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  20. It looks like a wonderful place to visit.

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  21. Hi Liz, Good to hear from you, I must confess that I didn't know much about the Dervishes until I was smitten by the Turkish culture and realized there was a lot more about the country than sunshine and sand, I started doing some research and that set us off on a wonderful journey over about 12 years, visiting many places of cultural and historical interest.
    Sadly I can't travel so far now but do enjoy writing about my happy memories.
    You too have a wonderful Christmas with your lovely family,
    much love from,
    Di xx

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  22. Cherie, You would love it, the country oozes with history and some of the historical sites and ancient buildings are breath taking. The scenery is fabulous too!

    Have a wonderful Christmas,
    Love Di xx

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I usually like to reply to your comments but for some reason when i do post a reply it just diappears, any advice would be most welcome,Thanks Di x

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