The Commemorative Ceremony for Mevlana, the great Sufic saint (1207-1273), is one of the world's greatest spectacles. More than a million people descend on Konya, the ancient Seljuk capital, for the festival of the Whirling Dervishes.
At the Mausoleum of Mevlana in Konya, mystical ceremonial dances are performed in honour of the great teacher and thinker. Mevlana (which in Arabic means `Our Lord`) taught the preeminence of complete tolerance, positive thinking and awareness of God through love. He also believed that a union with God could be achieved through dance. Thus the Mevlana followers have been performing this religious `whirling` dance for centuries.

At the Museum of Mevlana in La Rende Caddesi, Konya, Turkey

Contacts: Turkish Ministry of Tourism
Tel: +90 (0) 312 212 8300 (UK +44 (0) 20 7629 7771)
Fax: +90 (0) 312 212 8391