751 years after his death, Rumi’s influence crosses continental and religious divides

KONYA, Turkey (RNS) — “Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn’t matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair.” 

These words, belonging to the 12th-century poet and Sufi Muslim mystic Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhi Rūmī, resonated with the pilgrims gathered at his final resting place in Turkey to celebrate the Şeb-i-Arus — Rumi’s union with the divine — on the 751st anniversary of his death. 

The 10 days of events that ended Tuesday (Dec. 17) drew hundreds from around the world to this provincial capital in central Anatolia, which in Rumi’s day served as the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, a precursor to the Ottoman Empire.

Konya is also known as the home of the Mevlevi order, the Sufi sect that follows the teachings of Rumi, often called whirling dervishes, due their distinctive spinning prayer known as Sema.

Ismail Fenter. (Photo courtesy Ismail Fenter)

Once a more intimate affair confined to members of the Mevlevi order, Şeb-i-Arus has become something of a festival, with 10 days of events, concerts and lectures around Rumi’s tomb, with twice-daily Sema ceremonies. 

“People come here from other countries wanting to be near Rumi, to get that thing everybody feels, and everybody feels it,” said Ismail Fenter, an American-born Mevlevi who settled in Konya a few years ago. 

Today Rumi’s primary work, the Masnavi, is read in Islamic communities worldwide, but Muslims are hardly the only pilgrims to Konya for Şeb-i-Arus. “People from everywhere get together here, from all parts of life, and they have one thing in common, and that one thing is (Rumi) and his lessons,” Soheila Adelipour, who lives in Los Angeles, told Religion News Service. “They say that (Rumi) requests you, invites you, demands you. If you don’t have that request you aren’t going to end up here.”

Adelipour, an Iranian-born Jew and self-help author, said Rumi’s wisdom had helped her at difficult points in her life, adding that she was hopeful that in Konya she would find inspiration to finish her next book. 

Three-quarters of a millenium after his death, Rumi consistently ranks among the bestselling poets in the United States, boosting interest in the anniversary celebrations in Konya.

“Some people see that the music is beautiful. So they come, and then they are influenced by the music. Some others, they come for the Sema. Sema is not a dance, but they see it as a dance. Then they search. And then the others, they come for the poetry,” explained Celal Çelebi, a 23rd-generation descendent of Rumi and member of the family that has led the Mevlevi order in Konya for centuries.

“Rumi’s message is universal,” said Çelebi. “When you look at the stories in the Masnavi, he is actually talking about today — these are still common problems that we are facing on a daily basis.”

Mobeen Dervesh in Konya, Turkey. (Photo by David I. Klein)

Marek Prochazka, who came to Konya from the Czech Republic, called Şeb-i-Arus “a world tour of spirituality and wellness,” comparing it to other spiritual festivals in Hinduism and Indigenous American faiths. “People go to Varanasi for the Ganga, Mexico for the Shamans, and they come to Konya for the Sufis,” he said.

For the many Muslims who come to Konya for Şeb-i-Arus, the widespread interest in the Islamic saint is a point of pride. “If somebody not Muslim is taking any inspiration from the saints like (Rumi), it is. It’s an honor for Islam in itself. It’s an honor and great news for Islam,” said Mobeen Dervesh, who came to Konya from the United Kingdom. 

At a time when the media often portrays Muslims as engaged in conflict and extremism, Dervesh said he believes that it is important to showcase Rumi’s message of love and tolerance. “I think it needs to be put to the people that there is a love side of Islam as well,” he said, adding that the faith’s Sufi sect has particular potential to bring people together.

Fenter, who had trained to be both a Catholic priest and, later, a rabbi before adopting Islam, is working on a new English translation of the Masnavi and teaches online classes on Rumi. 

“My students that I’m teaching are Jews, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists. They come from all over the world, and they want to learn,” he explained. “You don’t need to be Mevlevi. You don’t need to be a Muslim to understand what Rumi is saying.” 

The Mevlevi order in Konya has encouraged interest in Rumi and their traditions, but is also careful that their meanings are not lost behind the fanfare of Şeb-i-Arus. The dervishes, bedecked in white robes, arms raised to the heavens as they pronounce the name of God with each rotation, have become a symbol not only of the Mevlevi but of all of Turkey. Pictures of whirling dervishes are emblazoned on tourist tchotchkes in Istanbul’s bazaars, and dancers mimic the act at Turkish night clubs. 

The Çelebi family, center, is escorted through crowds to Rumi’s tomb to offer Şeb-i-Arus prayers in Konya, Turkey, Dec. 17, 2024. (Photo by David I. Klein)

“That’s the only thing that we don’t like as a family,” said Çelebi, whose father, Faruk, is the current leader of the order in Konya and is president of the International Mevlana Foundation. “Sema is not a dance, but a zikrullah — a remembrance of god,” explained Fenter.

Under the secularist policies that dominated modern Turkey for much of the 20th century, the Mevlevi order was repressed, and even outlawed in the 1920s. Sema ceremonies and Şeb-i-Arus celebrations were allowed again in the 1950s to bring in tourism. In Konya, an entire stadium with seating for more than 2,500 was built to host the spectacle. 

Pilgrims visit the tomb of Sufi Muslim mystic Jalal al-din Muhammed Balkhi Rumi in Konya, Turkey, Dec. 15, 2024. (Photo by David I. Klein)

“This is not a piece of theater or dance performance. It is a ritual, a religious ceremony, and we want people to see that aspect and respect it,” Çelebi said. 

However, he acknowledged that in recent decades, as Rumi’s works have grown more popular in the West — and public religion more prominent in Turkey — people have come to treat Sema more respectfully. 

“Compared to 20-30 years ago, people are more respectful to the spiritual part of it,” Çelebi said.