Whirling DervishesThe 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 David Santiago Garcia, Aurora Photos

World Heritage site pictures: Cappadocia

See photos of the rocky landscape and Byzantine art of Cappadocia, a World Heritage site in Turkey.

ByNational Geographic Staff
Published December 9, 2015

What is now Cappadocia in central Turkey was once buried beneath a deep blanket of volcanic ash. Until recently, the region attracted only adventurous tourists. But infrastructure improvements and posh accommodations, including new and refurbished cave homes, have turned this World Heritage site into a luxury tourism destination.