Konya opens 11-day commemoration for the 752nd anniversary of Mevlana Rumi’s passing

Turkey

UNESCO-recognized Sema ceremony launches the “Time for Serenity” program, drawing visitors from Türkiye and around the world

Konya has once again become a focal point of spiritual culture as visitors gathered to mark the 752nd anniversary of the passing of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi – the Islamic scholar, poet, and Sufi mystic whose legacy continues to resonate across continents. The commemorations opened on 7 December with the traditional Seb-i Arus ceremony at the Mevlana Culture Center, introducing an 11-day program themed “Time for Serenity.”

Opening with the Sema ritual

The ceremony began with the Sema, the devotional whirling ritual symbolising spiritual ascent and Rumi’s understanding of vuslat – reunion with the Divine. Performed according to the Mevlevi tradition established after Rumi’s death in 1273, it follows a structured sequence beginning with the Nat-i Serif, the entry of the semazens with arms crossed, and the symbolic removal of the waistcoat to represent the abandonment of ego. The ritual closes with greetings of peace and a recitation from the Quran. UNESCO designated the Sema a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Cultural Heritage of Humanity” in 2008.

“A profound opportunity for love and spiritual connection”

Addressing guests at the opening, Omer Faruk Belviranli, Director General of Fine Arts at the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, noted that generations of “friends of the heart” have shaped an Islamic spiritual tradition that continues to illuminate the present. Konya, he said, remains “a blessed city of luminous scholars,” and the 11-day program brings together leading artists and scholars of Mevlana and Sufi thought. Visitors this year include guests from across Türkiye as well as the US, Japan, and many other countries.

Rumi’s lasting influence

Known in Türkiye as Mevlana – “our master” – Rumi attracts millions of pilgrims to his mausoleum in Konya. Born in 1207 to a Turkic family in today’s Afghanistan, he became one of the world’s most widely read spiritual thinkers. His teachings on compassion, unity, and divine love have shaped cultures from Türkiye and Iran to Central Asia.

Rumi’s masterwork, the Masnavi, written after the loss of his mentor Shams Tabrizi, explores spiritual love, humility, and the search for truth. With more than 50,000 verses and translations into 26 languages, it remains a cornerstone of Sufi literature. His Divan-i Kabir, comprising more than 40,000 lyrical poems, further cemented his influence on Islamic mysticism and world literature.