Thursday 25 July 2013

Mevlevihanesi Monastery and its dancing Dervishes, Istanbul

You find the Mevlevihanesi Monastery in the Tünel district, Galip Dede Caddesi. It is now a museum with a fabulous dancing hall on the first floor. The ceiling of the dance hall is unbelievable. You could not imagine this when you look at the wooden building from the exterior.

It is here that the Dervishes dance the Sema. This is a traditional dance which brings the men wearing white dresses into a trance looking for the truth and perfection. The dances still exist although Ataturk has forbidden it in 1923. This is the first activity we have found that Turks still practice although it was forbidden by the founder of the nation.

The garden is beautifully landscaped, a bit further there is a graveyard. The building next to it holds above ground coffins like we have seen in many royal tumbs.

Je vindt het Mevlevihanesi Klooster in de Tünel wijk, Galip Dede Caddesi. Het is nu een museum met een ongelooflijke danszaal op het eerste verdiep. Het plafond van de zaal is verbluffend. Van aan de buitenzijde kan je het niet inbeelden dat dit moois te zien is in dit houten gebouw.

Hier dansen de Derwisjen een Sema. De traditionele Turkse dans van mannen in witte jurken die zichzelf in een trance draaien op zoek naar de waarheid en perfectie. De dans bestaat nog steeds ondanks dat Ataturk deze verboden had in 1923. Het is de eerste Turkse activiteit die we hebben gezien na een verbod van de oprichter van het land. 

De tuin is mooi aangelegd en bevat ook een kerkhof. Het aanpalend gebouw is een grafkamer met bovengrondse graven zoals bij vele Koninklijke Turkse Mausoleums.. 
 
Mevlevihanesi Monastery Istanbul

Mevlevihanesi Monastery Istanbul

Mevlevihanesi Monastery Istanbul

Mevlevihanesi Monastery Istanbul

Mevlevihanesi Monastery Istanbul

Mevlevihanesi Monastery Istanbul

Mevlevihanesi Monastery Istanbul

Mevlevihanesi Monastery Istanbul

Mevlevihanesi Monastery Istanbul

Mevlevihanesi Monastery Istanbul

Mevlevihanesi Monastery Istanbul

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13 comments:

  1. Wonderful room with the spinning Dervishes. I am hoping to see them on my trip to Turkey in the Autumn.

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  2. This place is beautiful! We call these Whirling Dervishes. Why was it forbidden? And you actually got to see them dance, fantastic!

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  3. Wat een luxe en mooie gebouwen Filip
    Prachtige fotoserie .
    Bijzonder om de verboden dans te zien .....
    Grt.

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  4. What interesting photos, and especially that you actually saw the dance that has been forbidden? How wonderful.

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  5. boeiende reizen maken jullie! mijn stijl, moest ik het nog kunnen

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  6. prachtige foto's van de balzaal Filip..

    heel knap werk !


    groeten

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  7. That is amazing! I wish I had been there with you. I saw a video of the whirling dervishes in a concert hall where Satan himself, Bashar al-Assad, was watching the holy ceremony... I'm glad they still practice it in secret. It is so much more than just a show.

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  8. Oh wow! great pictures. I would love to see this.

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  9. What a wonderful ceiling indeed.
    The spinning Dervishes - about as close as I will get to see them is on the TV, but you never know.

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  10. Very interesting. Especially (to me) when I can see locals with traditional clothes.

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  11. I was fascinated to read about the dervishes when I was very young - we used to try to see how long we could whirl like them without falling over! We couldn't keep it up for very long though ...

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  12. What an amazing place this is. Would love to see these men dancing the sema! How fascinating this is.

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