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Whirling Dervishes
The ritual dance of the Sufi sect, a mystical branch of Islam, was created in Konya 700 years ago by the Persian poet Rumi. Practitioners, dubbed "whirling dervishes" by early European travelers, believe the act of repeatedly spinning allows them to forget their earthly body and move closer to God. "Dervish" is an adaptation of darwish, the Arabic word for Sufi.
Photograph by Eda Kaya, My Shot

Turkey Photos

See photos of Turkey (including whirling dervishes, the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Cappadocia, and more) in this travel photo gallery from National Geographic.

Published December 31, 2013