In this photo taken on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018, whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony in Konya, central Turkey. Every December the Anatolian city hosts a series of events to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi. Among the most visually stunning tributes is a mesmerizing ceremony by the whirling dervishes. Rumi, also known as Mevlana, was born in Persia but settled in Konya, where he died and was buried 745 years ago. Although Turkey had banned religious orders in the early 1920s, the dervishes were largely tolerated and became the symbol for Turkey’s tourism campaigns.

Source: Washington Post December 19, 2018 08:48 UTC