Tonight we went to see the Whirling Dervishes. I'm not quite clear on the whole picture, but I got from our teacher's explanation that they are a part of a branch of mystic Sufi Islam and that this "dance" is not a performance but more of a ritual. The Turkish government didn't allow the practice of this branch of Islam, but once they realized that it would mean more money for them in terms of tourism, they decided to allow the Whirling Dervishes. Our teacher assured us, however, that this was the least-touristy one he could find. Still, it felt weird to be watching someone else pray and taking pictures ... but of course I did take pictures!
The dance was beautiful. Their whirling created waves in their long white robes, and some of them closed their eyes while they were spinning, but somehow they never bumped into each other. They spun in circles and then they would move in a circle together. Their movements were purposeful too: one hand is pointed upward to receive from Allah, and the other is pointed down to distribute what they receive to the world.
The "dancers" had music accompaniment as well. One man sang beautifully, he sang a capella for a few songs and was also accompanied by the instruments. One man played a flat, wooden drum, shaped like a tambourine. Another played a string instrument, almost like a bass, and the final played another string instrument more like a harp that you play in your lap. The last one was a wind instrument that sounded like a flute. The blending of sound was perfect.
Dinner was nothing much, although I did take a fabulous picture of how they serve tea in Turkey. All in all it was a fun night.
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The room where we ate dinner
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Dessert--delicious as usual
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Turkish tea
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Mosque that we passed on our way to the Whirling Dervishes. Most of the major mosques in the city are lit up at night--makes for a more interesting skyline.
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