Whirling Dervishes, Jean Baptiste Vanmour, c. 1720 - c. 1737 Canvas Print
Derwishen or Muslim holy men occupied a special place in religiously tolerant Istanbul. Like Christian monks, some derwish people roamed the countryside or through the city, while others lived in communities or orders. The most famous order is that of the Mevlevi-derwishen, the followers of the philosopher and mystical poet Jalal ad-Din Rumi (1207-1273), who is also called Mevlana, 'our master'. Mevlevi-derwishen try to get in touch with Allah through prayer, music and swirling dance. Their right hand is pointed up at the dance to receive the heavenly blessing, which they pass on to earth with the left hand. The followers of Mevlana lived in tekkes, also called Mevlevihanesi. Vanmour painted the Mevlevihane that stood near the Palais de Hollande in Pera. It was the oldest in the city and consisted next to a prayer hall or dance hall (semahane), of rooms for the derwishen, a room and a special prayer room for their leader the sheikh, a women's section, a library, a dining room and kitchen, a public fountain, a bell room from which the prayer hour was announced and a cemetery. The ceremony began when the leader of the derwishen left his seat and stood at the edge of the dance floor to address his followers. Vanmour depicted him on the right side of the painting in the contemplative posture he would adopt throughout the ceremony. After this, the wicked greeted their leader one by one, as the two men in the foreground do, and then they began their prayers. By spinning around in the same place to the rhythm of the music, they fell into a trance. The derwishes wear the distinctive cylindrical hat, the sikke, and long woolen clothing that swung around in a beautiful circle around them when spinning around. On the balcony, which we see at the top left, the flute is played. Vanmour has depicted two spectators very prominently. They stand behind the balustrade near the chair of the religious leader and their facial features are very similar to those of Patrona Halil and his accomplice Muslu Bese. Why Vanmour depicted these protagonists from the Revolt of 1730 so prominently is unclear. It does help us with the dating of the painting, which must have come about between October 1730 (just after the uprising) and November 1730 (the murder of Patrona Halil and his supporters).
-
100% Made In America
-
Next Day Shipping Available
-
100% Money Back Guarantee
-
Free Shipping On Orders Of $150+
-
Use Shopify Pay to break the price down into 4 easy payments!
Select Your Size