SHOTLIST:

NEW YORK, US (DEC. 19, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF CLASSICAL MUSIC ORCHESTRA PERFORMING

2. AUDIENCE APPLAUDING / ORCHESTRA CONDUCTOR POSING WITH FLOWERS

3. THEATRICAL NARRATION PERFORMANCE

4. VARIOUS OF SEMA RITUAL PERFORMED BY WHIRLING DERVISHES

5. PERFORMERS AND ARTISTS RECEIVING APPLAUSE AT END OF CONCERT NEW YORK, US - DEC. 19: Whirling dervishes took the stage at the “March of Love” concert organized by Turkish Airlines in New York, presenting the centuries-old Sema ritual to an international audience on Friday, Dec. 19.

The Sema, a devotional whirling ritual symbolizing spiritual ascent, reflects the understanding of vuslat, the reunion with the Divine, of the 13th-century Sufi mystic and poet Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi.

Performed as part of the Mevlevi tradition established after his passing in 1273, the ritual follows a carefully structured sequence: it opens with the Nat-i Serif in praise of Prophet Muhammad, proceeds with the entry of semazens with arms crossed, and continues as they remove their waistcoats - a gesture of leaving the ego behind - before beginning the whirling. The ceremony ends with greetings of peace and a recitation from the Holy Quran.

In 2008, UNESCO recognized the Sema as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Cultural Heritage of Humanity.”

Born in 1207 to a Turkic family in what is now Afghanistan, Rumi is one of the most widely read thinkers in the world. His teachings on compassion, unity, and divine love have long transcended borders of culture, language, and religion.

His masterwork, the Masnavi, written after the loss of his beloved mentor Shams Tabrizi, explores themes of spiritual love, humility, and tolerance. The text helped define a spiritual tradition spanning Türkiye, Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia and remains a foundational work of Sufi literature.

With more than 50,000 verses, the Masnavi is regarded as one of Sufism’s most influential texts and has been translated from its original Persian into 26 languages, including Turkish, English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.

Rumi also authored the Divan-i Kabir, a monumental collection of over 40,000 lyrical poems that further solidified his impact on Islamic mysticism and world literature.