Urs of Jelaluddin al-Rumi
Urs of Jelaluddin al-Rumi (Whirling Dervish Festival)
During the week leading up to December 17, lights bejewel the town of Konya, shop keepers offer special merchandise, and thousands of visitors arrive to partake of exhibits and lectures related to Rumi and the Mevlevi order. Festival-goers also visit Rumi's tomb, situated in an extensive Mevlevi complex, which comprises one of Turkey's most-visited museums. The climax of the festival week takes place on December 17, when Mevlevis perform their whirling dance wearing costumes that feature white trousers, a full white overskirt, and tall cylindrical hats. Each of these items represents an aspect of the dancer's ego, which is symbolically overcome during the dance by the performer's spirit ascending to love and truth. Before the dance, Rumi's poems are recited and prayers offered. The dance occurs in seven parts, each of which has a particular meaning. The whirling, which is said to mirror the circular movements of creation, from an atom's particles to the planets' orbits, occurs in the fifth section. Muslims and non-Muslims alike attend the striking, world-renowned display. It inspired the Rumi Festival,held annually in North Carolina to honor the beloved poet and his teachings.
Turkish Tourist Office
2525 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008
202-612-6800; fax: 202-319-7446
www.tourismturkey.org
Turkey Embassy
2525 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 02008
202-612-6700; fax: 202-612-6744
www.turkey.org
UndIslam-2004, p. 400