Mr. Youngs and Mr. Allemang recently offered a bonus opportunity for their AP and English Honors 12 classes.  This opportunity was to watch the ceremonial performance of the Whirling Dervishes held at the Carnegie Music Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 19.

The Whirling Dervishes were presented by the Turkish Cultural Center of Pittsburgh (TCCP) and the Peace Island Institute.

The Order of the Whirling Dervishes is a tradition of Islam.  Their performance is called the Sema Ritual.  This Ritual came about to honor Rumi and his works.

Rumi has been the number one best-selling poet in the United States for the last 13 years.

His works began when he met a wandering Dervish named Shams al-Din.  Rumi said when he met Shams he saw in him a divine presence.  He began writing poetry.  Their love was an incredible one, some say that their love went beyond or was almost divine like.  When Shams mysteriously disappeared, Rumi, who was depressed, would move around a column and spill out thousands of verses.  Today the Whirling Dervishes still perform their ritual to honor Rumi and demonstrate divine love.

The performance was accompanied by the Reed Flute (ney).  It symbolizes the divine breath which keeps us alive and moving.

The Whirling Dervishes were first clothed in black cloaks, and wore a camel’s hair hat called the sikke.  The hat represents the tombstone of the ego.  At the beginning of the ritual, they walked with their arms crossed walking counterclockwise and bowing a few times.  Their arms being crossed meant to symbolize the number one, testifying to God’s unity.  Later, they stripped the black cloak to reveal the magnificent white skirt underneath showing one is spiritually born to the truth.

One-by-one they began to whirl with a peaceful look upon their faces.  As they begun to spin, their arms reached out seeming to embrace God’s unity, one hand held upward towards God while the other turned down facing the earth.

They whirl in a circle to show they are part of this revolving world.  Everything in life revolves in a circle from the spin of the universe to the blood in our veins.  The whirling in circles symbolizes the awareness of this and the want to unify and feel the divine love of God.  They repeated this sequence for about five times.

After viewing the performance, Mr. Allemang said, “The Sema Ritual is more than just a performance, it’s a prayer. It represents the individual’s spiritual journey toward truth and perfection. Although unorthodox, it is a sacred ceremony and therefore should be given reverence by all involved, those participating and those watching.  While it’s an individual journey, it’s also communal, and the brotherhood was expressed on stage in the four whirling dervishes. It was a spiritual experience for all involved, those on stage and those in the audience. I was definitely moved by the whole experience.”

The event lasted until about 8:45 p.m.  At the end of the ritual, the Whirling Dervishes went outside to talk and answer any questions from the audience.

As senior Adam Musciano said, “It was an once in a lifetime experience that gave me insight into the culture of another country.  It was immersive, and truly beautiful.”