Dervish is a Persian work which means “needy”; it is used by the Muslims for describing a person adhering to Islam, searching for salvation in asceticism. Even though Mohammad said that “there is no monkhood in Islam”, due to the Arabs’ tradition of living ascetically, in the first centuries of hadschara many dervish orders and brotherhoods were founded. Dervish adheres to Sufism.
Mevlevi is a Sufi order founded in the 12th century in Turkey. A peculiar feature of Mevlevi is the practice of whirling aimed at reaching a unity with God. The dervishes appear wearing white caps and black cloaks. During the whirling the cloaks are thrown away; white clothes are under them. The dervishes are whirling separately, not touching each other. The performance is unforgettable.
