Every year, Sufis from around the world gather for the annual celebration of Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi’s death. Concerts, symposia, lectures, sema (ceremony of the whirling dervishes), dhikrs (Sufi ceremony of Divine Remembrance), etc. take place throughout the day and late into the night. Rumi Immersion students will participate in sessions focusing on the study of Rumi; Islam in Turkey; dance and music in spiritual practice, etc… There will be opportunities to meet with members of Jewish, Eastern Orthodox and Muslim Sufi communities in Istanbul and Konya. Preparatory readings and videos will be required ahead of time. The group will maintain a blog with video throughout the trip so that other members of the community can experience this. Students must arrange to finish the work for their fall semester courses prior to their travels. Students are responsible for securing their own passports, and arrange for appropriate visa requirements to Turkey from your country of citizenship. In addition to tuition, the estimated additional costs will include airfare (secured by the student), plus ca. $2,500 for room, board and transfers within Turkey. For more information, email Prof Dr Ibrahim Farajajé at ifarajaje@sksm.edu.
SKSM Rumi Immersion in Turkey
| Title | Category | Address | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Istanbul | City | Istanbul, Turkey | With a population of just over 14 million, Istanbul is the largest city in the Middle East and the sixth largest in the world. Founded in 660 BCE as Byzantium, then Constantinople, and in 1930 officially becoming Istanbul, the city’s rich history is a large part of the attraction. Known for its Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, the city is filled with historical and significant temples, monuments, and buildings. |
| Konya | City | Konya, Turkey | Home of Mevlana, where he met and studied with Shams Tabrizi. Home of the Whirling Dervishes and the tombs of Rumi, Shams Tabrizi, and Eva de Vitray-Meyerovich. |
| Goreme | City | Goreme, Turkey | Volcanic rocks, sculpted by erosion, known as “fairy-chimneys” and hoodoos. Full of caves that have served as shelter, as sanctuaries, and as underground dwellings. |
| Hacıbektaş | City | Hacıbektaş, Turkey | Once home to Haji Bektash Veli, founder of the Bektashi order and his Monastery, now home to his museum and tomb – a pilgrimage site. |
| Karaman | City | Karaman, Turkey | An ancient town in south central Turkey, Karaman was the home of poet Yunus Emre. Karaman is home to the medrese that Bahaeddin Veled, father of Rumi, preached at. Rumi’s mother died in Karaman and Rumi married his wife, Gevher Hatun, in Karaman. |
| Beyşehir | City | Beyşehir, Turkey | Rebuilt on the ancient, ruined city “Pisidia,” Beysehir became the summer residence of Seljuk Turk sultans. Beysehir is home to impressive architectural masterpieces, such as the Kubadabad Palace and the Great Mosque of Beyşehir. |
 | Aya Sofya / Hagia Sophia | Historical Site | Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey | Located in Istanbul. Once a Greek Orthodox Church, and then a Mosque. Now, a museum. The Hagia Sofia is known for its remarkable architecture – with minarets and arches, and for its remarkable mosaics (once covered by plaster, carefully restored by the museum). |
| Sultan Ahmet Camii / Blue Mosque | Historical Site | Blue Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey | Built in the early 17th century, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, popularly known as the “Blue Mosque” is considered one of the finest examples of Ottoman mosque architecture. It is still in use for worship today, and recently hosted Pope Benedict XVI, the second official visit by a pope to a Muslim holy place in Catholic history. |
| Kariye Camii / Chora Church | Historical Site | Kariye Camii, Istanbul, Turkey | Dating as far back as 413, the Chora Church is a beautiful surviving Byzantine church and museum. The church features massive, elaborate frescos. |
| Ahrida Synagogue | Historical Site | Ahrida Synagogue, Instanbul, Turkey | Oldest Synagogue in Istanbul, founded before 1453 and actively used since, Ahrida is known for its Bema (the place where the Torah is read during services) that is shaped like the bow of a ship. Lore claims its representative of Noah’s Ark or of the Ottoman ships that transported the Sephardim from Spain to Turkey. |
| Assyrian Church of the Virgin Mary | Historical Site | Assyrian Church of the Virgin Mary, Instabul, Turkey | Only church built by Assyrians in Istanbul. First purchased and renovated in the 19th century, and most recently remodeled and rebuilt in 1960 with stones brought in from the city of Mardin, an Assyrian center in Turkey. |
| Çatalhöyük | Historical Site | Çatalhöyük, Turkey | Located in Konya, a thriving Neolithic settlement, populated from approximately 7500 BCE to 5700 BCE. First excavated in 1958, it remains the largest Neolithic site found to date. The site consists of homes, filled with murals, figurines, textiles and cattle skulls. |
| Balikli Kilisesi / Shrine of the Living Fountain | Historical Site | Balikli Kilisesi, Istanbul, Turkey | An Eastern Orthodox sanctuary in Istanbul, originally built in the late 6th Century, with the stones left from the construction of the Hagia Sofia, and most recently rebuilt in 1835, this church is at the site of a sacred spring that has been attributed with healing powers. |
 | Tomb and Masjid of Sems-i Tebrizi | Sacred Tomb | Şemsi Tebrizi, Konya, Turkey | Shams Tabrizi was a dear teacher of Mevlana Rumi. After their meeting, they became inseparable for many years. It is said that Shams Tabrizi opened Mevlana Rumi’s heart and soul to the experience of God everywhere, beyond the academic pursuits. This transformed Rumi from scholar to prophet. The Tomb is located in Konya. |
| Tomb of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi | Sacred Tomb | Tomb of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, Konya, Turkey | Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi is a Sufi mystic poet and father of Sema, practiced by the Dervishes. Every year, on the anniversary of his death (known as his wedding night, when he was finally united with the Divine) pilgrims from all over the year travel to Konya to celebrate his life and teachings. |
| Tomb of Eva de Mitray Meyerovich | Sacred Tomb | Tomb of Eva de Mitray Meyerovich, Konya, Turkey | A French scholar and devotee of Mevlana Rumi, Dr. de Vitray-Meyerovich, studied and translated the works of Mevlana her entire career. She died in 1999 and had stipulated her request to be buried in Konya, near Mevlana, and in 2008 she was ceremoniously moved to her eternal resting place, opposite Mevlana. |
Image Credits:
- Image of Istanbul by Selda Yildiz and Erol Gülsen Selda Yildiz und Erol Gülsen. [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
- Image of Konya by User:Intension [CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons
- Image of Goreme By Bjørn Christian Tørrissen (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
- Image of Hacıbektaş by Omer Unlu (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
- Image of Karaman by Fethullahkizilkaya (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
- Image of Beyşehir by Noumenon (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons
- Image of Hagia Sophia by Arild Vågen (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
- Image of Blue Mosque by Dersaadet (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
- Image of Kariye Camii by User:Darwinek (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
- Image of Ahrida Synagogue by Abbey Tennis
- Image of Çatalhöyük by Omar hoftun (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
- Image of Balikli Kilisesi by Abbey Tennis
- Image of Şemsi Tebrizi by Elmju (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
- Image of Tomb of Mevlana by Abbey Tennis
- Image of Tomb of Evan de Vitray-Meyerovich by Abbey Tennis
