YENICE, Turkey — For seven days and nights, more than 100 participants gathered in southwestern Turkey to engage in continuous whirling, a practice rooted in the mystical Islamic tradition of Sufism known as sema. The event, held recently at a retreat center surrounded by pine forests, sought to sustain an unbroken spiritual dance, with no fewer than two people spinning at all times.

Sema, famously associated with the 13th-century Islamic scholar and poet Jalaluddin Muhammad Rumi, traditionally involves men dressed in white robes and tall caps spinning in choreographed ceremonies accompanied by male musicians. This gathering, however, diverged from convention by welcoming participants of all genders and backgrounds, including attendees from Turkey, Europe, the United States, and Iran.

Unlike typical sema performances often staged for tourists, this event emphasized inclusivity and transformation over formal ritual. Participants spun in a variety of clothing—from embroidered shirts and flowing dresses to jeans and T-shirts—while a mixed-gender band called Tumata provided live folk music. The band, led by sisters and continuing the legacy of their late father Rahmi Oruc Guvenc, a Sufi scholar and musicologist, played continuously to accompany the whirling throughout the week.

According to Cem Aydogdu, a 69-year-old Sufi guide known as Cem Baba, the event required no prerequisites. “Whoever comes is called,” he said, underscoring the open nature of the gathering. Aydogdu described the nonstop whirling as a means to generate a powerful vortex of energy, which disperses according to an unknown spiritual purpose.

The retreat maintained certain communal rules, including prohibitions on drugs and alcohol and modest dress codes forbidding exposed skin in public areas. Most attendees camped on-site, sharing responsibilities such as preparing three vegetarian meals daily and assisting with venue upkeep.

Throughout the days, participants attended spiritual discussions and beginner workshops on whirling techniques, advised to start slowly and maintain a blurred vision to avoid dizziness. The stone-walled whirling hall served as the epicenter where musicians rotated shifts and whirlers spun solo or in groups, occasionally calling out "Allah" amid expressions of ecstasy.

The practice of sema has a complex history in Turkey. It thrived during the Ottoman Empire through the Sufi orders founded by Rumi’s followers but was banned after the establishment of the secular Turkish Republic in 1923. Restrictions eased in recent decades, culminating in sema’s designation in 2008 by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Many participants described the event as transformative. Ilgaz Yuksel, a former data scientist from Istanbul who embraced veganism and yoga after traveling in Asia, said whirling helped him achieve a sense of unity and inner peace. Elena Bogoslovova, a Bulgarian attendee who found Sufism following personal hardship, emphasized the authenticity of the tradition and its emphasis on love and acceptance.

Organizers noted logistical challenges during the week, including volunteer shortages and financial shortfalls, which required appeals to maintain the continuous spinning. Despite these hurdles, the sema persisted until the event’s conclusion.

The gathering represented a contemporary iteration of a centuries-old spiritual practice, blending tradition with a diverse, modern community seeking connection beyond formal religious boundaries.