sema

Sema is a ceremonial practice of the Mevlevi Order, a Sufi group in the Muslim world, best known for the ritual whirling dance performed by its dervishes. The ceremony functions as a form of meditation and spiritual ascent, with the goals of centering the self, remembering God, and symbolically uniting the seeker with the divine.

The term sema derives from the Persian word for listening, reflecting the emphasis on inner attention and divine remembrance. The practice emerged in 13th-century Anatolia, around Konya, under the influence of Jalaluddin Rumi and his followers. It is traditionally viewed as a dhikr, or remembrance, expressed through music, poetry, and movement.

In a Sema performance, participants wear distinctive attire: a tall felt hat (sikke) and a long white wool cloak (hırka). At the start, the cloak is removed as a symbolic shedding of ego and worldly attachment, while the dervishes begin to circle in a coordinated sequence. The right hand is raised to the heavens to receive grace, and the left hand is lowered to the earth to transmit that grace to humanity. The spinning motion, synchronized with music that typically features the ney (reed flute), a drum, choral chanting, and devotional poetry, unfolds in a prescribed order and lasts about 30 to 60 minutes.

Historically, the Mevlevi Order faced suppression in the early 20th century in Turkey, but the Sema ceremony has continued and is today recognized as a cultural and religious practice. In 2005, UNESCO inscribed the Mevlevi Sema Ceremony on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Modern performances occur in Turkey and in other countries as both ritual and cultural demonstrations.