Whirling in ecstasy, dervishes of the Mevlevi Order in Istanbul perform a ritual dance each December to commemorate the death in 1273 of their founder, Celaleddin Rumi. Pivoting on one foot as they circle the room—right hand facing heaven, left hand facing earth—the dancers symbolize spinning planets revolving about God. A mystic poet, Celaleddin was admired by sultans for his humanitarian teachings; Süleyman restored his shrine in Konya, Turkey.

—From "The World of Süleyman the Magnificent," November 1987, National Geographic magazine