Sema at Galata Mevlevihane
Watch the September 7th, 2019 Sema ceremony at Galata Mevlevihane (Istanbul) with Shaikh Huseyin Erek, Shaikh Kabir Helminski, and Neyzen Salih Bilgin, Music Director
Segah Niyaz Ilahi & Na’t Serif
Segah Niyaz Ilahi: Segah Niyaz Ilahi PDF Segah Niyaz Ilahi Translation Na't: Na't-i Mevlana short 1 Na't-i Mevlana short 2 Na't-i Mevlana long 1 Na't-i Mevlana long 2 Na't-i Mevlana long 3 Na't-i Mevlana long 4 Na't-i Mevlana long 5 Na't-i Serif ve Turkce Anlami (Visit Semazen.net for more scores.)
The Sema Ceremony
An illustrated description of the sequence of events in Sema, the central ritual of the Mevlevi Sufi order.
The Musicians
The musicians sit on a raised platform opposite the sheikh. The hafiz (one who has memorized the entire Qur'an) chants a prayer to Mevlana and a sura (chapter) from the Qur'an. The sound of the kudum (kettle drums) then breaks the silence. The dervishes, now [...]
The Sultan Veled Walk
An illustrated description of the sequence of events in Sema, the central ritual of the Mevlevi Sufi order.
The Selams
The musicians play as the semazenbashi approaches the sheikh; bows to him with right foot over the left and arms crossed at the shoulders; kisses the right hand of the sheikh, then steps away backwards to a position five feet from the post, in order to direct the sema. Each dervish then approaches the sheikh [...]
The Turn
All of the dervishes unfold their arms and whirl as the sheikh stands at his post, the musicians play and the chorus chants. The semazens extend their arms, right palm facing up and the left down. The energy from above enters through the right palm, passes through the visible channel of the body, then passes [...]
The End of the Ceremony
The sheikh arrives at his post, bows, sits, and kisses the floor. The semazens sit and put on their cloaks. The sheikh recites the Fatiha, the first sura of the Qur'an, then the dervishes kiss the floor and rise. The sheikh then sounds an invocation to Mevlana and Shams-i Tabriz and begins the sound "Hu." [...]
Sema, The Universal Movement
It is scientifically recognized that the fundamental condition of our existence is to revolve. There is no being or object which does not revolve, because all beings are comprised of revolving electrons, protons, and neutrons in atoms. Everything revolves, and the human being lives by means of the revolution of these particles, by the revolution of the blood in his body, and by the revolution of the stages of his life, by his coming from the earth and his returning to it.
The Gate of Secrets
The practice of whirling may have its origins in the timeless shadows of Central Asian spirituality where shamans used it to induce altered states of consciousness. We know that in the time of Mevlâna it was already an ancient practice in use among Sufis. Shams of Tabriz, beloved friend and initiator of Mevlâna, tells us: