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Whirling dervishes performed the Sema ceremony in the central Anatolian city of Konya as Türkiye began commemorating the 752nd anniversary of the death of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, launching an 11-day program of prayers, music and remembrance held under the theme “Time for Serenity.”
The Sema ceremony, a ritual of turning performed by dervishes as an act of worship, took place as part of the “Vuslat Anniversary International Commemoration” events, which focus on Mevlana’s “vuslat,” his union with Allah. In the program, often referred to as “seb-i arus,” officials and guests gathered at the Mevlana Culture Center in Konya on Dec. 7, 2025, to reflect on Mevlana’s spiritual legacy and its message for the present day.
Speaking at the Mevlana Culture Center, Omer Faruk Belviranli, director general of fine arts at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, said the ministry had prepared numerous events over 11 days for what he called “friends of Mevlana,” and he underlined that the commemorations carried special weight for the institution.
He stated that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism attached great importance to the ceremonies held in memory of Mevlana, and he stressed that the ministry saw it as a core responsibility to introduce, protect and pass on all cultural values and heritage elements that shape the spiritual fabric of the land on which people live and that “make us who we are.”
Belviranli referred to Rumi’s words that “there are two great signs in a person, the first is knowledge and the second is sacrifice,” and he recalled that some people might have knowledge without sacrifice, while others could show sacrifice without knowledge. He said it was a source of happiness that friends of Mevlana from across Türkiye and from many parts of the world had come together in Konya with the wish to share in this legacy.
Konya Governor Ibrahim Akin reminded the audience that this year’s commemoration program was held under the theme “Time for Serenity,” and he said that peace could only be strengthened within families and in wider society when it rested on compassion and a sense of trust.
He described peace in universal terms as a bridge that brings human beings together and draws hearts closer to each other, and he linked the theme to the wider global context by mentioning wars, migration, poverty and oppression. In a world shaken by these developments, he said, peace had become a shared need and a common search for all humanity.
Akin said Mevlana’s call was directed from east to west and from north to south to all humanity at exactly this point, and he recalled that this call reminded people that they could not rebuild the world without first reviving their own hearts. He also underlined that there could be no lasting global peace without inner peace, and he said that, on this occasion, people were setting out to aim for more serenity, more peace and more unity on behalf of humanity.
Konya Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Mustafa Uzbas greeted local residents as well as visitors from other parts of Türkiye and from abroad who had travelled to the city for the events and he extended his welcome to them on behalf of the municipality.
Uzbas said he hoped that each event held during the seb-i arus period, together with the spiritual atmosphere of the night and the prayers recited during the ceremonies, would bring a breath of relief to a world that is, in his words, “drowning in wars and in the tears of the oppressed.” He also thanked everyone who had contributed to the preparation and organisation of the program.
After the speeches, the commemoration continued with a concert of Sufi music by the Istanbul Historical Turkish Music Ensemble of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, together with artist Ahmet Ozhan.
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