Some of us have heard of these mesmerizing men who twirl for hours in long white skirts. I wanted to learn more. My OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) to Turkey in 2023 included a demonstration of this dance; a Sufi tradition (Muslim religious figures akin to monks) that involves spinning faster and faster to summon the divine. This form of whirling meditation or Sema ritual and worship is meant to help the dancer get closer to God and achieve truth. The Semazens, or the Whirling Dervishes, carry out a sacred ritual that combines prayer, music, and dance to express their faith and love. Here is my video of a segment of the performance at a monastery in Cappadocia, Turkey.
The camelhair hats represent tombstones and the wide white skirts symbolize shrouds, the parting of the veil between this world and the next.
Below is a CNN video of more history, information, and the inclusion of women in the ritual.
All religions or cultures have rituals that instill meaning. I’ve seen these in every country I lived in or visited. One could summarize that some of this diversity is archaic and bizarre. Whether it be the Catholics who seek out the confessional to cleanse their souls; Tibetans who prostrate for miles to reach their Buddhist temples to obtain enlighenment; Muslims who fast during Ramadan to come closer to Allah; or the open fire cremation ritual in Hinduism to release the soul to the afterlife, they are all searching for the same end goal: The Divine.
I welcome your comments below.
Susan E. Greisen 
Hi Sue,
How do they NOT get dizzy and fall??
Earl
*”Good is something you do, not something you talk about. **Some medals are pinned to your soul, not to your jacket. ” * *Gino Bartali, Italian hero and winner of the Tour de France in 1938*
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hello Earl, to answer your question about dizziness, it takes lots of practice. Similar to ice skaters and dancers who twirl endlessly and not fall down. I certainly can’t do it in my seventies.
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