|
|
|
|
|
|
Each week in Istanbul there is a ceremony of the whirling dervishes. If you are interested you may write us.
|
|
The Mevlevi order
The Mevlevi Order has for seven centuries offered spiritual training
based on the principles of Sufism. It is a rigorous path of initiation and service
continually adapting itself to changing circumstances and times. The Mevlevi
Order traces back to Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi (d. 1273) one of the greatest
mystics and poets the world has ever known. Historically it has been Rumi, more
than any other Sufi, who has issued the invitation to people of all backgrounds to
the mystical garden that is Sufism:
Come, come, whoever you are.
Wanderer, idolator, worshipper of fire,
come even though you have
broken your vows a thousand times,
Come, and come yet again.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
![](../images/quote_mark_closing.gif)
For more than seven centuries the Mevlevi Order has held the light of the religion of love, offering spiritual
refuge and enlightenment for those who wished to develop their human-ness to the highest level. In Ottoman
times the Mevlevi Order cultivated not only spiritual attainment but cultural and artistic excellence as well.
Mevlevis have always been progressive and liberal in spirit while at the same time conserving the best of
tradition. Today, the Mevlevi Order is reviving in the West to offer a spirituality adequate to our times.
|