Mevlevi

The Mevlevi order, also known as the Mawlawi or Mawlavi order, is a Sufi order founded in the 13th century by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi and his followers in Konya, in present-day Turkey. The name Mevlevi derives from Mevlana, meaning “our master,” a title for Rumi. The order emphasizes love, spiritual purification, and union with the divine through contemplative practice and a mystical interpretation of Islam.

Central to Mevlevi practice is the sama, a ritual that includes music, poetry, and the sema—the whirling dance performed by dervishes. In the sema, practitioners wear a white skirt (tennure) and a tall felt hat (sikke) as they spin in coordinated circles, symbolizing the soul’s ascent toward God. The ceremony uses instruments such as the ney (reed flute) and drums to accompany verse from Rumi’s works.

Historically, the Mevlevi established lodges, or tekkes, across Anatolia and the Ottoman Empire, with Konya and Istanbul among the most important centers. In 1925, the Turkish government banned Sufi orders and closed many tekkes; Mevlevi activities were restricted. Since the late 20th century, some Mevlevi centers function as cultural and musical organizations, and the sema is performed publicly as a traditional art form and spiritual rite in Turkey and abroad.

The Mevlevi tradition remains influential in Sufism and in poetry and music inspired by Rumi. Today, the order persists in Turkey, in other parts of the Muslim world, and in diaspora communities, often preserving a blend of spiritual practice, music, and literature.