Whirling Dervishes of Istanbul

Whirling Dervishes of Istanbul

Since 2007, we have organised major performances on numerous international stages with the Whirling Dervishes of Istanbul under the direction of Mete Edman. Today, with the valuable new musicians and whirling dervishes who have joined its ranks, the Istanbul Dervishes Group successfully represents Mevlevi culture at international art events. The ensemble is made up of men and women who have adopted Turkish Sufism as their philosophy of life.

Mevlevi music is based on the Turkish makam form and is known as ‘Tekke / Dergah’ sacred music. It originated in the well-established and enlightened Sufi schools of Anatolia.

Sema is a mystical dance created by Mevlana Celalettin Rumi, a thinker who lived in the 13th century. Rumi raised his divine enthusiasm to a different level by performing sema. Rumi, who included music and musical instruments in his lodge, combined the spiritual journey of man to God with music and dance. According to Rumi, everything rotates in the universe. From the planets and stars in outer space to the atom, the building block of matter, rotation is an action that constitutes the essence of existence.

Sema occurs in a state of spiritual ecstasy and may manifest itself not only in the form of spinning, but also in the form of singing poetry, shouting, and making music. Mevlevi sema is performed by turning round oneself. After the 13th century, Rumi's followers gave sema a form and turned it into a ceremony. Sema Ceremonies accompanied by the Mevlevi Ayin, one of the religious forms of Turkish makam music, have been performed for centuries.  Sema is the expression of a state of divine ecstasy. Accordingly, the sema is not performed in places of mourning, on the contrary, it is performed in places of joy such as weddings. It does not necessarily have to be in the form of a ceremony.

The companion of the sema is music made in divine forms. Music is the food of the soul and the life of the sema. Following the rhythm of the music, the whirling dervish commemorates God with each turn. During the sema, each musician is also in sema with his instrument and voice.  Since music and sema are performed with the love of God, they have a high spirituality.

Whirling Dervishes of Istanbul, reunited under the direction of Mete Edman, consists of valuable musicians and dancers. 

Musicians

1. Salim Mete Edman         Ud - Vocal    

2. Emre Işık                         Ney                           

3. Kaan Sezerler                 Kemençe                 

4. Rıfat Çalışkan                 Bendir                      

5. Mustafa Dedeoğlu          Kanun                                                     

Dancers                           

1. Gökhan Denkel             

2. Erdinç Mustafa Kızılöz  

3. Ömer Kahrıman

4. Ramazan Korkut

5. Murat Yıldız        

6. Burcu Yıldız

7. Deniz Evren Gügüş

8. Pınar Yatarkalkmaz