Whirling Dervishes

We went to see Whirling Dervishes. Their form of prayer has been “performatized,” perhaps even “touristized,” that is, presented in a concert setting with reserved seats and tickets for sale. Despite the commercial setting, the performance seemed to me to be profoundly spiritual. The dervishes entered one by one in a solemn manner, kissed the floor, and slowly began to whirl.  They formed a circle and moved in a circle as each person whirled within his own space. They made no eye contact with the audience, but seemed to have their intention fixed on an interior space, perhaps a divine presence. They all looked like “ordinary joes,” not like dancers. Our guide said that they are all real members of a Dervish Order, and that they do these performances “for Allah,” as a service to God, not for any payment.

The music was traditional, consisting of stringed instruments, some horns, and a drum, and a singer. It, like the dancing, had a trance-like quality, without clearly defined phrases or strong repeated rhythmic patterns.

The Dervishes played an important role in spiritual and social life throughout the Ottoman times. Dervish lodges or “convents” functioned as civic organizations that Muslims would join, often in affinity groups based on class or profession. The lodges did charitable acts and supported the development of social communities based on the members’ mutual interests. They also preached an ecstatic kind of religious belief, not incompatible with, but perhaps parallel to the practice of formal Islam. People made pilgrimages to the tombs of Dervish saints, combining social with pious activities.

 

Image:

Whirling Dervishes Performing Dance, Istanbul. Photography. Encyclopædia Britannica Image Quest. Web. 29 Jul 2013. http://quest.eb.com/images/165_3336640