Women and the Sema
In the Mevlevi order the semazens, the dervishes who turn in the ceremony, have officially always been men. There are early accounts of women turning among themselves, and women have long belonged to the order's wider circle. Some groups today include women in the turn, which traditionalists dispute. At Kasımpaşa Mevlevihanesi the ceremony is performed by men, and women are welcome as visitors.
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What the tradition says
The TDV encyclopedia of Islam, the standard Turkish reference, puts it carefully: there are accounts from the order's early period of women performing the Sema among themselves, with Rumi himself accompanying them, but officially the semazens were men. Women were part of the order's life in other ways, as disciples, patrons and poets, and several Ottoman women were among its great benefactors: Kasımpaşa itself was rebuilt in 1796 by Mihrişah Valide Sultan, the mother of Selim III.
What has changed
In the second half of the 20th century some Mevlevi teachers, especially in groups abroad, began to include women in the turn, and mixed ceremonies are now held in several countries. In Turkey the question is live and disputed: a 2013 academic study notes that Konya's ceremonies do not include women semazens, while women have turned at Galata both historically and recently, and mixed performances by some groups draw public criticism from traditional circles.
What you will see in Istanbul
At Kasımpaşa Mevlevihanesi the semazens are men. Women are as welcome as guests as anyone else, and the only dress requirement the lodge publishes, for everyone, is modest clothing out of respect for a place of worship. What to wear.
Questions people ask
- Can a woman be a dervish?
- A dervish is a member of a Sufi order, and women have belonged to Sufi circles, the Mevlevi included, for centuries. Turning in the public Sema has officially been a men's role in the Mevlevi order.
- Are there female whirling dervishes?
- Yes, in some groups today, especially outside Turkey and in mixed ceremonies, which traditional Mevlevi circles criticise. Historical accounts also describe women turning among themselves in the order's early period.
- Can women attend a whirling dervish ceremony?
- Yes. Women are welcome as guests at Kasımpaşa Mevlevihanesi. Modest clothing is asked of every visitor.