Mevlevi sema ceremonies in the context of cultural performance

Mevlevi sema ceremonies offer a vivid example of a deep-rooted Turkish-Islamic tradition and attract attention with their cultural richness. This tradition was developed inspired by the profound teachings of Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, the famous mystic and poet who lived in the 13th century. These ceremonies, which reflect Mevlana's mystical understanding and universal messages about humanity, are symbolized by the unique whirling performances of whirling dervishes. Whirling Dervishes, each of whom has gone through a long training process, express their love and devotion to God with their turning movements. This return also represents man's inner journey and spiritual quest. Mevlevi sema ceremonies are a ritual that includes various subheadings of cultural performance and can be described as one of the most important examples of cultural performance in this context. These ceremonies are a form of performance that reflects the values, beliefs and cultural accumulation of the society over the historical process. Mevlevi sema ceremonies include all components of cultural performance with their ritualistic structure, musical elements, symbolic movements and spiritual experiences of the participants. This study evaluates the sema ceremonies, which are the symbol of Anatolia's deep-rooted Mevlevi tradition, within the framework of the concept of cultural performance. At the same time, it will examine in depth the historical origins of the Mevlevi tradition, its evolution over time, and its rituals from the perspective of performance theory. Although it is a pioneering example of cultural performance, the lack of existing research in this field makes the topic we examine more special and important. Therefore, our study will not only fill an academic gap, but will also aim to introduce the rich heritage of the Mevlevi tradition to wider audiences.