The world is thirsting for love, and for understanding and tolerance between religions. In answer to this, with lovers of the Exalted Mevlana from many places in the world in attendance, a program in memory of the 728 anniversary of Mevlana’s reunion with his Lord was held 16 and 17 December at the Galata Mevlevi Temple in Istanbul. Mevlana, who called the time of his worldly death the ‘ nuptial night’ and the moment of reunion with the Beloved, compared that reunion to a wedding feast. The Exalted Mevlana, who rescued people from the imaginary and invites them to the true, the real, offered these words to us with his last breath before that reunion with the Divine: On the day of my death, when my coffin is in procession, Don’ t think that I am grieved by the sorrows of this world. Don’t cry for me. Don’ t say, ‘ Oh, what a pity! When you give me to the earth, don’ t cry, ” Farewell! Farwell!” You see the birth of a new day; Well, see the setting of the day, too. What seed, when sown in the ground doesn’ t sprout? Why do you fall into doubt about the seed of man? See what Mevlana had to say: When the earth of my grave drinks my body like a sip of wine, my soul will rise above the heavens. I am not some padishah, that I would descend from a throne and get onto a coffin. My destiny is eternity. Mevlana, the essence of all the prophets and saints of the past, continues today to have a place in hearts as an ever-growing monument to love and tolerance. In the memorial progr am presented by The Contemporary Lovers of Mevlana first of all there was a concert of hymns in the Mystical music style. After that the Sema Ceremony written for Shems of Tebriz, with words by Hasan Çıkar and music by a member of our choir, was offered.
