Dervishes are a religious group of Islamic origin, for many years their dance became popular as a form of meditation. However, it was not until the second half of the 20th century that the international tourist interest and charm of the dervishes began. Today, the dervish dance is a whole Turkish tradition.
The Ottoman Empire and the European nations were close neighbors, but despite this, few Turkish traditions were known in the West.
This lack of cultural exchange, along with political isolation and geographical distancing, was one of the reasons why Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Republic of Turkey, decided to reform the ancient Ottoman practices.
Among the traditions that were banned, there was the dance of the dervishes, who lived moments of total cultural censorship. However, as the new Turkey opened up to the world, and more and more people wanted to visit the country, the Mevlevi dance was approved again.
This time around, the main function of the dervishes would not only be to be a Sufi order, but also a tourist wonder. The dance, in which one spins with open arms to the beat of drums and flutes, became so popular that dervishes began to be invited to shows around the world.
Currently, the dervish dance is considered an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and its practice is fully permitted by the Turkish government.
The Ottoman Empire and the European nations were close neighbors, but despite this, few Turkish traditions were known in the West.
This lack of cultural exchange, along with political isolation and geographical distancing, was one of the reasons why Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the modern Republic of Turkey, decided to reform the ancient Ottoman practices.
Among the traditions that were banned, there was the dance of the dervishes, who lived moments of total cultural censorship. However, as the new Turkey opened up to the world, and more and more people wanted to visit the country, the Mevlevi dance was approved again.
This time around, the main function of the dervishes would not only be to be a Sufi order, but also a tourist wonder. The dance, in which one spins with open arms to the beat of drums and flutes, became so popular that dervishes began to be invited to shows around the world.
Currently, the dervish dance is considered an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and its practice is fully permitted by the Turkish government.
Of course, if you go to Turkey, in addition to tasting authentic Turkish tea, you will want to appreciate this incredible cultural spectacle. However, you should know that dervishes do not have a fixed place or date of presentation, and they usually give public functions only at special times, such as festivals or national celebrations.
Despite this, dervishes have specific settings where they perform frequently, especially in Sufi monasteries.
On your trip to Istanbul, you probably won’t see whirling dervishes doing their dance spontaneously, accompanied by their long skirts and tall hats. Instead, you may have to search for a cultural event or just hope to have good luck and find them while taking a tour of a Sufi museum.
But you can be completely sure of one thing, and that is that the dervish dance, which is always turning counterclockwise, will enchant you.
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