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| Prof. Amer Al-Tony |
Imagine a realm in which dancing, poetry, and music all intertwine to generate an exceptional spiritual experience. This magical realm is the Mevlevi Order, commonly called the Whirling Dervishes. We sometimes hear about this Order and its performances, but on the other hand, we wonder who they are, how they started, and what they perform. So, let’s delve deeper into this fascinating universe to satisfy our curiosity.
Dating back to
the 13th century, the Mevlevi Order or
the Jalalya Way was founded by the Persian poet and mystic, Rumi, in the
Turkish city of Konya and later spread to the Levant, Egypt, and other Arab and
Islamic countries.
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| A depiction of Jalal ad-Din Rumi. Painted and colored on paper. Dating back to the early 19th century. |
The phrase
"Mevlevi" originates from the Arabic word "Mawla," which
means the lord, the beloved, or the devoted. The Mevlevi dance represents God's
love and the elevation of the soul, while in the Sufi context, it represents
the bond between an individual and God.
It’s a global Folklore
art and a physical manner of drawing closer to God through love, remembrance,
advocating forth His blessings, and the honorable acclaim of the Prophet
Muhammad. Through long hours of circular dancing, the dancers raise their right
and lower their left hands, blending into lofty spiritual emotions that purify
their souls.
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| A performance for Mevlevi band |
In 1994, Prof. Amer Al-Tony (1968 - 2025), the chanter and intellectual leader of the Mevlevi Order, decided to found the Egyptian Mevlevi with a unique vision, setting it apart from other Mevlevi troupes globally. His goal was to emphasize and promote the rich heritage and identity of Egyptian Mevlevi, bringing Egyptian culture and art to the international stage.
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| Mevlevi band |
In an interview in 2024, Al-Tony indicates that the Egyptian Mevlevi is a kind of spiritual meditation that
originated from the Pharaonic and Islamic cultures. Furthermore,
as Egyptian music uplifts the soul, Plato encouraged his fellow Greeks to
listen to it.
The Mevlevi order relies upon an abundance of movements for their performances, and each movement has a meaning; they are not random gestures. These movements are inspired by profound Sufi ideas, starting with the dervish considering a particular state in which he compasses the Kaaba on his left side “heart”, puts his hand on his chest, and bows in humility.
Then he begins strolling counterclockwise after placing the Kaaba—a
compelling metaphor—in his heart as he believes it is the key to enlightenment. The reason the Mevlevis spin around their bodies is that God commanded us to
move surrounding the Kaaba when seeing it and almighty gave the planets a
mandatory obedience instruction to spin.
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| performance for Mevlevi band |
Along with the hand motion, the dancer uses it to construct a passageway
from the ground to the sky. The dancer creates a visual representation of the
lyrics by converting the poetry and music being sung through these motions.
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| A Mevlevi performance from the memorial ceremony for Amer Al-Tony |
The Mevlevis’ clothing colors also have connotations inspired by nature, so it's not simply the movements that are significant. White clothing signifies the shroud, which reflects the idea of mortality and handing over worldly pleasures, while black cloaks are sometimes used to represent the body and the grave and the soil that covers it, and the brown cap is a representation of the gravestones as a sign of annihilation and transition to a higher spiritual state.
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| Mevlevi's clothes |
Ahmed Aziz Al-Tony, Amer’s nephew and the current band’s leader, indicates that “Prof. Amer was keen to add special symbols that aligned with Egyptian society's culture, so he incorporated the seven colors of the spectrum into the Mevlevi dance.”, which returns his performances closer to a spiritual musical celebration by adding joy and a lively rhythm.
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| Ahmed Aziz Al-Tony |
“Before the rise of the Egyptian Mevlevi, which introduced a fresh spirit influenced by Egyptian culture, the Mevlevi didn’t have a noticeable influence in Egypt,” Aziz stated. The Egyptian Tanoura, which is regarded as having been influenced by the Mevlevi but has evolved in form and performance, is one of the most notable components of Egypt’s cultural heritage.
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| The Egyptian Tanoura |
Aziz added, “Since the ancient Egyptians engaged in symbolic movements for meditation and spiritual ascension, the Pharaonic rituals also had a philosophical component that was similar to the Mevlevi”.
“The Egyptian Mevlevi isn’t just an artistic band; it is a cultural
state and an Egyptian identity, starting from its name, which is attached to
Egypt, to the use of classical Arabic,” Aziz said. The band members don't
perform in any other language in all our concerts across the globe.
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| Prof. Amer Al-Tony |
This reflects pride in Egypt's identity. The Mevlevi provides its artistic performances with an Egyptian spirit in any nation. Aziz highlighted, “The audience respects this art as is, without the need for cultural compromises.”
The Egyptian Mevlevi conveyed a cultural, intellectual, and spiritual
message alongside being a part of Sufi art. It is a voice for Egypt's history,
which generated a state that is unmatched in the world by pairing modernity and
authenticity, the profundity of Sufism, and the aesthetic dimension.