Thursday 27 November 2008

WHIRLING DERVISHES






Seeing the Sufi mystics was a great experience. We coulldn't manage it in Konye - the home of Sufism but we saw them at Istanbul Railway Station where the Orient Express used to terminate. The station is an interesting building - rather attractive.
They really do enter an altered state and their music and dance is fascinating. The white robes represent shrouds, the black capes - the coffin and the tall hats are tombstones. One hand is up towards heaven and the other down to earth.

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