Mevlana Cultural Center

Activities to commemorate the th anniversary of Mevlana Muhammad Jelaluddin Rumi's passing, also know as the "Vuslat" (reunion with the Beloved), have been taking place in many cities, especially in Konya, where Mevlana is buried.

The celebrations that began on Dec. 7 with a magnificent show at the Konya Mevlana Cultural Center, with 2, spectators, will continue until the evening of Şeb-i Arus, or the "Wedding Evening," which is held annually on Dec.

The main event during the 10 days was the sema (whirling dervish ceremony) presented by the whirling dervishes of the Konya Turkish Sufi Music Association. The association's art director, Yusuf Kaya, told the Anatolian news agency that the sema is performed twice a day during the day commemoration by dervishes who worked hard to ensure there were no mistakes during in their performances and got their strength from their love of Mevlana.

According to Kaya, the association has been organizing sema performances for 20 years and every year they draw more spectators, including from foreign countries. "We organize performances in other countries -- mostly European -- where we receive great interest from people. We believe that our mission is to introduce Mevlana and Turkey to the rest of the world and this mission gives us the strength to carry out hundreds of performances with a busy schedule throughout the year," Kaya said, adding that by declaring "The Year of Mevlana," the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) raised Mevlana's popularity throughout the world.

Apart from the sema performances, roughly events, including symposiums, conferences and plays on Mevlana and his teachings, and 29 exhibitions featuring photos, ceramics and ebrus, Turkish marbled paper, were organized.

This year's concept for the day celebrations is "heavenly light." Last year "divine love" was the theme, which the events were centered around.

Unlike previous years, this year's Şeb-i Arus ceremony will be hosted by the Galata Mevlevihanesi (Lodge House), which was recently reopened to visitors after a four-year restoration project.

Another significant Şeb-i Arus ceremony will be held in İstanbul's Üsküdar district, where a sema performance is to take place against the backdrop of the Maiden's Tower.

Cihan

Yorumunuz Onaylanmak Üzere Gönderildi

&#;Şeb-i Arus｜Commemorate Mevlana Concert&#; ~ Sufi Music Project

In commemoration of the th anniversary of the passing away of the 13th-century Muslim scholar and poet Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, a great Sufi, we will hold a concert to commemorate his thoughts and teachings. We will introduce Mevlana&#;s poems and the Sema (ceremonial whirling), registered as a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage, along with instrumental and vocal performances.

Date: Dec. 3 (Sat) start
Venue: Tokyo Camii Annex B1F, Ertugrul Hall
Fee: 4,JPY with tea & sweets
Reservation Required（PassMarket）

Artists:1st stage
　　　Amin (Voice Performance)
　　　Takayuki Ueda (Rabab)
　　　Nikawa (Ney)
　　　Yuki Sugawara (Percussion)

2nd stage
　　　Hideyuki Ishida (Ney)
　　　Mika Ishida (Tanbur)
　　　Michiko Suzuki (Qanun)
　　　Akira Takeguchi (Oud)
　　　Takako Nomiya (Percussion)

Whirling: Mohamed Ghareb

Guest: Muhammet Rıfat ÇINAR (Imam of Tokyo Camii)

Organized by: Tokyo modal music lab
Inquiry: [email protected]

Supported by: Tokyo Camii & Diyanat Turkiye Culture Center
Yunus Emre Enstitüsü Tokyo

This event is supported by Agency for Cultural Affairs &#;ARTS for the future2&#;.
ARTS for the future2
文化庁

You can download Flyer（PDF）

With its deep-rooted history, Konya has been a cradle to many cultures and civilizations throughout history. Home to one of the oldest settlements in the world, Konya also hosts important faith centers for Christianity. In this context, Konya is one of the centers of cultural tourism as well as belief tourism.

Important historical and cultural values such as Sille, Hagia Elenia, Ancient City of Kilistra, Eflatunpınar Monument, Çatalhöyük Ancient City, Karahöyük, İvris Rock Reliefs, Bolat, and Boouleterion show the potential of Konya regarding this subject.

Konya’s traditional handicrafts and folkloric values are part of cultural tourism. Carpet weaving, spoon and rifle making, pottery, tile making, and calligraphy are points of interest for tourists. Semah, folk dancing, and sufi music constitute the major folkloric values of Konya.

Konya bears the traces of a history spanning back to BC. The province has a rich history with her archaeological sites, natural and historical protected areas, caves and civil architecture.

Konya, which was the capital of the Seljuq Empire, is an important tourism destination with its world-renowned personalities such as Mevlana Rumi and Nasreddin Hodja.

There are  hotels in Konya and 8 of which have 5 stars. The bedding capacity of these hotels are more than Also, there are tourism agencies.

There are 7 museums in Konya city center (Mevlana, Karatay, İnceminare, Sırçalı Medrese, Atatürk, Ethnography and Archaeology Museums) and 5 in districts (Çatalhöyük, Eregli, Akşehir Western Front and Akşehir Ethnography and Archaeology Museums). Mevlana Museum was the most visited museum in Türkiye with  around 3 million visitors in

The ancient city Çatalhöyük is in UNESCO World Heritage List. Eşrefoğlu Mosque, Konya-Capital of Seljuq civilization, Anatolian Seljuk Madrasahs, Eflatunpınar Hitite Spring Sanctuary and Salt Lake Special Protection Area are in the tentative list.

As two manuscript libraries where our national and local culture is kept in the record, Konya has Regional Manuscript Library and Yusufağa Manuscript Library. There are handwritten and printed books in these libraries.

Beyşehir Lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in Türkiye, is one of the leading places in nature and hunting tourism. With new investments and efficient promotion, the lake and its surroundings are expected become one of the leading attractions in the province in the coming years.

The districts of Konya that are situated over the Taurus Mountains, are very suitable for trekking and mountain sports. Also, there is potential for hunting tourism in mountainous and woodland areas.

The province is also has cave tourism potential with Balatini, Körükini, Suluin, Sakaltutan, Susuz, Tınaztepe, Pınarbaşı and İncesu Caves.

There are also prominent areas suitable for birdwatching. The areas of the Salt Lake within the region are home to the largest colonies of flamingos in the world. Regarding other fauna, there are wild sheep in Bozdağ and jade horses in Karaman’s Karadağ area.

Türkiye is one of the top seven countries in the world regarding geothermal springs. There are over springs with temperatures between Celsius. There are more than touristic establishments in the country on these springs and two of these is in Konya's Ilgın and Karatay districts.