Photos show performances by Turkey's whirling dervishes

News > National News

Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at Kasimpasa Mevlevihane in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at Kasimpasa Mevlevihane in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
CORRECTS YEAR TO 2025 - Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at Kasimpasa Mevlevihane in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
CORRECTS YEAR TO 2025 - Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at Kasimpasa Mevlevihane in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at Kasimpasa Mevlevihane in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at Kasimpasa Mevlevihane in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A whirling dervish of the Mevlevi order performs during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at Kasimpasa Mevlevihane in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
A whirling dervish of the Mevlevi order performs during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at Kasimpasa Mevlevihane in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at a municipality cultural center in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at a municipality cultural center in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at Kasimpasa Mevlevihane in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at Kasimpasa Mevlevihane in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at a municipality cultural center in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at a municipality cultural center in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Mim Kemal Bulent Oke, head of dervish order dresses up before a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at a municipality cultural center in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Mim Kemal Bulent Oke, head of dervish order dresses up before a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at a municipality cultural center in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at Kasimpasa Mevlevihane in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at Kasimpasa Mevlevihane in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at a municipality cultural center in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at a municipality cultural center in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A whirling dervish of the Mevlevi order plays with his daughter before before a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at a municipality cultural center in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
A whirling dervish of the Mevlevi order plays with his daughter before before a Sheb-i Arus ceremony at a municipality cultural center in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
Carbonatix Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Carbonatix

9:20 PM on Wednesday, December 17, 2025

By KHALIL HAMRA and FRANCISCO SECO

ISTANBUL (AP) — Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order performed Sheb-i Arus ceremonies in Istanbul, Turkey, to commemorate the death of 13th-century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi.

___

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

This content is used here with permission. To view the original visit: https://apnews.com/article/turkey-whirling-dervishes-ceremony-photos-0ec044dc6075def94864bfdd8fa2ff2e
 

You might also be interested in:

Salem News Channel Today

Sponsored Links

On Air & Up Next

  • The Mary Gardner Show
    1:00PM - 2:00PM
     
    You’re not starting over. You’re rising higher. THE MARY GARDNER SHOW where   >>
     
  • The Chris Stigall Show
    2:00PM - 3:00PM
     
    Equal parts hilarity and desk-pounding monologues with healthy doses of skepticism and sarcasm.
     
  • Smarter Retirement Radio
    3:00PM - 3:30PM
     
    Money can be fleeting, but memories last a lifetime. Join John Ripley on   >>
     
  • The Charlie Kirk Show
    3:30PM - 5:00PM
     
    "The Charlie Kirk Show" can be heard weekdays across Salem Radio Network and watched on The Salem News Channel.
     
  • The Scott Jennings Show
    5:00PM - 6:00PM
     
    Jennings is battle-tested on cable news, a veteran of four presidential   >>
     

See the Full Program Guide