Turkey

Sufism, a form of Islamic mysticism, is typified by asceticism, introspection and spiritual practices. Spanning several cultures across Iran, Turkey, Central Asia, the Balkans and the Sub-continent, different orders of Sufism are practiced across the Islamic world including Turkey. With the creation of the Turkish state and governmental reforms in 1925, Turkish Sufi orders were abolished, with Sufi practices banned and property and endowments seized. Despite this repression, Sufism survived through underground networks that continued their unique practices in secret. Although only a minority of Turks belong to Sufi orders, it flourishes in Turkey today.

The various orders within Sufism adopt differing spiritual practices. Among the most well-known are the practices of the Mevlevi Order; originating in Konya, Turkey, the distinct dress and trance-like movements of the so-called “Whirling Dervishes” are instantly recognisable. Whilst the practices of other orders such as the Naqshbandi are more subdued, Sufi whirling is a form of worship involving physically active meditation where the individual seeks to abandon one’s ego and personal desires through the act of repeatedly spinning to music whilst focusing on a higher power. UNESCO has acknowledged the Mevlevi Sema Ceremony as amongst the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.