The dervishes are members of an Islamic Sufi order dating from the 12th century. Their name comes from the Persian word "Dervish" meaning "Beggar".
One of the distinctive practices of dervishes is the so-called "Sena" a dance ritual that symbolizes the search for union with the divine.
During the sema the dervishes wear long dresses and perform a series of circular movements and rotators that symbolize the movement of the stars and the rotation of the earth around the sun.
The rotary movement also represents the dissolution of the ego and the search for union with the divine. The right hand is turned towards the sky to receive the divine blessing and the left hand is turned towards the earth to share this blessing with others.
The sema is a very suggestive and symbolic experience. It represents a form of meditation and prayer that combines the movement of the body to the contemplation of the divine.
In addition, the sema also has a broader metaphysical meaning regarding the relationship between man and the cosmos which, according to Sufi doctrine, is a reflection of the divine.
Every aspect of the physical world represents an aspect of the divine. The rotation of the sema therefore represents the movement of the planets and the cosmos with which man tries to interact.
In summary, the sema dei dervisci is a ritual of dance and meditation that represents the search for union with the divine and symbolizes the relationship between man and the cosmos.
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