Amal Choucri Catta enters the sanctuary Rumi Festival, Turkish Sufi Music concert, singer Ahmet Ozhan and Mevlevi Sema Ceremony of the Whirling Dervishes, Cairo Opera House Main Hall, 6 May; Alexandria Opera House, 8 May, 8 pm Celebrating the 800th anniversary of Mevlana Jalal El Din Muhammad Rumi, an impressive "Rumi Festival" was organised at Cairo Opera's Main Hall and Open-Air Theatre, at the Mawlaweya Samakhana in Helmieh and at Alexandria's Sayed Darwish Theatre. Rumi's whirling dervishes have presented their "Sufi Sema Ceremonies" several times at Cairo's Main Hall, though they also have their very own complex, a "Mevlevi Dervish Hostel" including a theatre specifically built for their ritual dances, and a charming Turkish garden. It is generally admitted that Mevlevi Dervishes from Konya first arrived in Egypt in 1630, though the ritual dance originated 300 years earlier. The Samakhana is part of the Mausoleum-Madrassa of Emir Sunkur Saadi, known today as the tomb of Shaikh Hassan Sadaka: it was restored by the Italian-Egyptian Centre for Restoration, under the direction of Professor Giuseppe Fanfoni. Though the Samakhana theatre would have been more appropriate for the Mevlevi Whirling Dervishes' Sufi performances, Cairo Opera's main stage is usually chosen for practical reasons, among which is ample the parking space for the audiences' cars. It is rather unfortunate that, to this day, some viewers fail to register the sanctity of the performance: they talk in a loud voice, having arrived late and left their mobile phones on. They further believe the Konya Mevlevi performances to be identical, or similar to those of Egypt's local Dervishes, who perform in multi-coloured tunics for touristic purposes, while in fact Konya's Dervishes are undertaking a strict Sufi ritual. They even ask not to be applauded at the end of the dance, and if, disregarding their plea, audiences do applaud, the dancers do not bow, for theirs is not a show but a ceremony and a cosmic dance of ecstasy. Theirs is a religious tradition, a dance in honour of God Almighty, performed in the "Hall of Celestial Sounds" as the Samakhana is called. Thus the floor of the Helmieh Samakhana is circular, symbolising the universe with its rotating planets, while its dome reflects the cosmos under which the Dervishes whirl, counterclockwise, in blissful harmony, executing their Salams in remembrance of their Creator and reciting verses from the Holy Koran. Last week, at Cairo Opera's Main Hall, the "Mevlevi Sema Ceremony" opened with a Turkish Sufi Music Concert, animated by the superb vocalist Ahmet Ozhan and the Istanbul Turkish Historical Music ensemble. Ozhan is quite well known to local audiences who, once again, admired his smooth performance, the warmth of his timbre and the esoteric mystery of his expression. Born in Urfa in 1950, Ozhan completed his musical studies at the Istanbul Municipal Conservatory and at the Uskudar Music society. He has been State Artist since 1998 and has performed classical and Guldeste -- mystic concerts locally and internationally, in Asia, Europe and the United States, while releasing a number of albums. That night, at the Main Hall, the mood was meditative, the melody comforting and the rhythm serene. Serenity continued in the second part of the programme, with a Sema performance of the Whirling Dervishes and music performed on oriental instruments, such as the Rababa, an ancient three-stringed violin with the body of a coconut shell, the Ney, a reed flute, and the Kudum, a small double-drum played with drum-sticks, as well as the Oud, the Duff and other string and percussion instruments. Dervish music is not ordinary music, nor is it written music: it is music inspired by nature, as stated by a Sufi Master Musician: "Everything on earth contributes to the harmony of nature's music. The trees wave their branches in rhythm with the wind, the sound of the waves in the sea, the murmur of a breeze, the flash of lightning or the crash of thunder, the harmony of the rising sun or the waning moon and the twinkling stars, the blooming of flowers and the fading of leaves, all reveal to the seer the music of nature. Sacred music is felt by the heart: it is therefore performed in an atmosphere of reverence and tranquility, while the Sema is executed by the Dervishes." When the musicians, the singers and performers have taken their respective places on stage, the Naat, a poem of love and respect for the Prophet Mohamed, is recited and the Ney prelude begins. The following is a series of sounds from the flute, heralding the Day of Judgement and the Resurrection, while symbolically evoking the breath that gives life to all creatures. It is followed by Peshrev, an instrumental interlude that sees the dancers circling the stage three times, transcending symbolically the material realm and penetrating spiritual spheres. The atmosphere is one of reverence and peace, and as the ritual proceeds, the sanctity of the ceremony is overwhelmingly eloquent. While the musicians play, the Dervishes whirl, their arms extended with the right palm facing upwards and the left palm downwards, so as to let the spiritual energy flow from the heavens through the body and down to earth through the other palm. The Dervishes' white Tannuras represent the shroud, their long black cloaks represent the tomb, while the Sikke -- their tall woolen hats, represent the tombstone: a reminder that death does come to everyone in the end and that we are not more than visitors on earth and travelers in time. When the dancers have performed their Salams and completed their ritual journey through invisible spaces, they leave the spiritual universe and return to the material world. Their unique performance is perfectly moving, leaving most spectators in a meditative, solemn mood. As the audience left the main Hall, they were greeted in the open-air theatre by the most colourful of military musical ensembles, the "Ottoman Military Music Mehter" in their spectacular red uniforms with their impressive red hats, playing military as well as incidental music, while those who cared for Oriental snacks and sweets were cordially invited to partake in the lavish repast celebrating Mawlana Jalal El Din Muhamad Rumi's 800th anniversary. Born around 30 September 1207 in Balkh -- now within the borders of Afghanistan, he was 21 when he settled in the Turkish Seljuk Empire, where he lived most of his life, until his death in Konya on 17 December 1273. He produced five major works in verse and prose and the main theme and message of his teachings is the love of God and his creatures. The focus of his philosophy is humanity and his objective is to reach and help others reach the state of the perfect human being. He founded the "Mevlevi Mystic Order", commonly known as the "Whirling Dervishes", and created the "Semarite", a ritualistic sacred dance to symbolically seek the divine truth. In 2005 the Mevlevi Sema Ceremony was proclaimed by UNESCO as "a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity". Rumi's teachings inspire people worldwide to this very day. Audiences should be advised to tread softly on entering Rumi's Sufi sanctuary.
