Sufi Dance! The Whirling Dervishes

Each year, thousands of people travel to the Turkish city of Konya to attend a weeklong series of events and ceremonies that mark the death of the 13th-century Islamic poet, scholar and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. Instead of mourning his death, however, the ceremonies celebrate what his followers believe is his union with God. The main feature of the "Sheb-i Arus" or "night of the union," is an enchanting ritual performed by the dervishes of the Mevlevi order — more commonly known as the whirling dervishes.

The rite begins with a recital of prayers and verses from the Quran. The dervishes, dressed in long white robes symbolizing shrouds, black cloaks symbolizing tombs and long headgear symbolizing tombstones, then rise from the ground to salute each other.