Whirling dervishes perform to visitors in the event hall of Sirkeci Train Station on October 21, 2005 in Istanbul, Turkey

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The Mevlevi Order is a Sufi order founded in Konya, Turkey, by the followers of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic jurist and theologian. They are also known as the Whirling Dervishes due to their famous practice of whirling as a form of dhikr (remembrance of God). The whirling is part of the formal Sama ceremony and the participants are properly known as semazens. In 2005, UNESCO proclaimed the "The Mevlevi Soma Ceremony" of Turkey as amongst the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity (Wikipedia).

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Size: 3650px × 2427px
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Photo credit: © dinosmichail / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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