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The man they call Mevlana

Come, come whoever you are.
Wanderer, idolater, worshipper of fire,
Come even though you have broken your vows a thousand times
Come, and come yet again.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.

-Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi (1207-1273 A.D.)

During one week in December, thousands of pilgrims made their way to see the Sema, a ritual that is over 1,000 years old.  Performed by the Mevlevi, also known as the Whirling Dervishes, the Sema is a dance signifying the mystical properties of life.  The white shrouds symbolize burial cloaks and flat hats symbolize tombs while the dance commemorates the soul’s ascension into heaven. or “marriage with God.”

But, it’s the message of its creator, Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, that has grasped the world’s attention.

“It doesn’t matter are you Jew, Christian, or Hindu.  It doesn’t matter.  Just come,” says Pennti Koskinen, a Finnish artist who has been visiting Konya during the Mevlana festival for the last few years.

Over 500,000 visitors descended on Mevlana’s home of Konya, Turkey during the ten-day festival remembering his death.  And a single book of Rumi’s poetry has sold over half a million copies and is the best-selling book of poetry in the United States.

“My wife and I met and in our first meetings we were pen pals and we would send each other Rumi poems,” said Michael Farris who currently teaches English in Konya, “So for us to be able to come here, it’s wonderful because the atmosphere he generated just through the translation is here in the town.”

Konya residents pride themselves on following the poet’s ideals.

“They separate you, you are Muslim, you are Christian, you are Buddhist, you are blah blah blah, you are black, you are white,” said Mustafa Uslu from Konya, “But Mevlana, he is telling, “Come, whoever you are come.  So everybody feel comfortable here, I think.”

Visitors found Konya’s residents very conscious of the Sufi mystic’s teachings.

“Even in something as simple as a cup of tea, they say “Oh come and sit!” and they mean just coming and sitting, and sharing in moments,” the American Farris said.

With so many visiting, some residents feel that touristic fanfare and merchandising shroud the message.

“There’s some you can here the telephone cameras, “Kchhzzz, Kchzzz,” and I don’t want it to feel touristy,” Farris said, “I want people to experiences the reverence for the process.”

Others say the chotskies and showmanship come with the territory of being a top world destination.  Banu Uslu, who served as an emcee for the festival performances, made her case concerning the festivals “reverence.”

“Ofcourse, for them, it has to be the business way.  But the people who are coming here for this are just sharing this sacred moments,” Uslu said.

And so amidst the flashes and crowds, the Dervishes continue to whirl and revolve around each other just like the Earth, the planets, and stars.