NEW YORK - Istanbul Historical Music Ensemble performed sema, the dance of whirling dervishes, in "The Town Hall" in New York on Saturday.
Speaking at the opening of the night, Turkish Culture & Tourism Ministry Executive Ahmet Ari said philosophy of Mevlana was based on understanding, tolerance, friendship and mutual respect among people, "we want to share Mevlana philosophy with other people," he added.
On the other hand, Turkey's Consul General in New York Mehmet Samsar said the world needs tolerance and dialogue to stop extremism from polarizing people, "because of this the Turkish state assumed the responsibility of promoting the Mevlevi philosophy to the whole world."
Samsar also thanked to the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) because it declared 2007 as the year of Mevlana to mark the 800th anniversary of his birth.
The Ensemble will perform Sema in the United Nations building on June 26th in New York.
The Mevlevi Order was founded by the followers of Jalal ad-Din Rumi in 1273 in the central Turkish city of Konya. They are also known as the Whirling Dervishes for their famous practice of whirling as a form of dhikr (remembrance of Allah). Dervish is a common term for an initiate of the Sufi Path.
The Whirling Dervishes believe in performing their dhikr in the form of a "dance" and music ceremony called the Sema.
The Sema represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to "Perfect." Turning towards the truth, the follower grows through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth and arrives at the "Perfect." He then returns from this spiritual journey as a man who has reached maturity and a greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service of the whole of creation.