The order Mavlevi or whirling dervishes was founded by the philosopher and poet Rumi in the thirteenth century.
In Konya, Anatolian city in Turkey, is the tomb of Jalal al-Din al Rumi, philosopher, poet and Sufi mystic. The city seems steeped in the teachings of the Master.
"Come, whoever you are, fire worshiper, idolater or pagan. Ours is not a place to dwell pain or despair. Everyone who comes will receive our welcome. "
Rumi believed in the virtues of dance and music as a form of liberation from all earthly bonds. The dervishes, after greeting the teacher initiate their turns ...
The move represents the agitated state of mind. The dervishes turn with the right arm raised to the sky and down to the left to keep in touch with the earth. The twists are most vertiginous each, and the dancers, tilting his head to one side, seem to fall into trance ecstasy that leads them to union with God. When Rumi died, his followers founded the Sufi order of whirling dervishes mewlevi or who continued spreading his teachings throughout the centuries.