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My friend Canan invited me to the Yenikapı Mevlevi Lodge one night to witness a Sufi Sema ceremony. It’s located in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul.
We hopped on the T1 tram, got off at Cevizlibağ outside the old city walls of Constantinople, and took the short walk to the lodge. Canan’s friend spotted us outside and he showed us to our seats before leaving to prepare for the ceremony. He would be participating that night in one of the lodge’s weekly public ceremonies.
The Lodge
The Yenikapı Mevlevi Lodge (Yenikapı Mevlevihanesi) was built in 1598 by Malkoç Mehmed Efendi, head of the Janissary scribes. It’s the second biggest Mevlevi lodge in Istanbul, and contains a mosque, semahane, 18 dervish rooms, kitchen, dining hall, cistern, tomb, tomb keeper’s room, sultan’s room, harem, and a large hall. I haven’t had a chance to visit during the day, so I don’t have any photos.
Sema Ceremony
I’m obviously no expert on Sufism or the Sema ceremony, but I will describe the ritual I witnessed below to the best of my knowledge. I apologize for the quality of the photos and videos, and if my interpretations are incorrect:
The ceremony began with a group of men playing instruments in the upper gallery of the semahane. The whirling dervishes then entered the semahane. They wore black cloaks and long hats representing tombstones. The dervishes bowed and sat on the floor as the music continued. They sat apart from the sheikh, who positioned himself on a red sheep skin nearby.
Next, the dervishes stood up and slowly formed a circle, bowing to each other as they passed the red sheep skin. This symbolizes the acknowledgement of one soul to another.
The dervishes then removed their black cloaks, representing their spiritual birth into truth. Underneath the cloaks, they wore white jackets and wide skirts, symbolizing death shrouds. As they began the actual Sema ceremony, the dervishes began to spin around as if in a trance. Their right hands lifted to the sky to receive God’s blessing while their left hand pointed to the ground, as if presenting a gift to the earth.
Conclusion
It’s a beautiful ritual filled with symbolism. Anyone visiting Istanbul should make time to attend a ceremony, whether at Yenikapı Mevlevi Lodge or the Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum. There are also other places where the ceremony is performed, such as Sirkeci Station, but I prefer the authentic venues.
