Who Are We?
The Group of Contemporary Mevlana Lovers was founded in 1989 under the spiritual leadership of Hasan Rıza Dede. It began its mission to keep the timeless thoughts of the Exalted Mevlana alive and to introduce them to today’s world.
The group’s principle of existence is based on the teachings of Hazrat Mevlana, aligned with the vision of the Head Teacher Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey and the modern Turkish people.
Initially, the group operated as the Galata Mevlevi Lodge Association (1982-2010) and later as the Universal Mevlana Lovers Foundation (1998 – EMAV). It now continues its work as the Universal Mevlana Lovers Foundation (EMAV).
Hazrat Mevlana’s father was Sultan al-Ulama, and his successor and teacher was Tirmizli Seyyid Burhāneddin, along with Shams of Tabriz, who were among the Sufis that came to Anatolia in the 13th century.
Since its establishment, the group has participated in numerous events and organized conferences, seminars, Sufi music concerts, and Sema ceremonies abroad. Mevlana’s enlightened thought has become the voice of the message of love and unity in the USA, Europe, and many Asian countries. EMAV continues its efforts to introduce and sustain the Mevlevi tradition in this direction.
Composition, CD, and Cassette Works:
The group produces new works in the field of Mevlevi music and continues its efforts with contemporary interpretations. The musicians have composed and performed fifteen Mevlevi rituals and nearly five hundred hymns with Turkish lyrics. They have released four CDs and two cassettes, presenting these works both at home and abroad during Sufi music concerts and Sema ceremonies.
In memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, and his comrades, a CD titled İLAN-I AŞK was released by the group musicians, featuring its lyrics and composition. Additionally, the group has organized concerts and whirling dervish ceremonies every year on November 10 since 1993 to keep the memory of him and his friends alive.
Examples of Documentaries and Films:
HASARDS OU COINCIDENCES / Director: Claude LELOUCH (1998)
Suleiman the Magnificent / Director: Suzanne BAUMAN (1988)
BAKARA / Director: Ron FRICKE (1996)
Examples from Media Studies:
German Radio and Television – ProSieben / Galileo (2023)
UNESCO Arc et Senans City 3D/360 Degree Shooting / Sema Ceremony of the City Introducing (2023)
German Radio and TV – Rumi’s Dervishes (2021)
2021 Swedish TV – Gina’s Worlds – Whirling Dervishes (2021)
German TV – GERMAN and IONIA Production – Female Whirling Dervishes Documentary (2018) BBC – Female Dervishes (2015)
National Geographic (2004)
Unity Cems (Gatherings) with the Alevi Community:
Unity Cems, held in collaboration with the Cem Foundation, are events where the spirit of unity is experienced. They are large-scale gatherings where differences are forgotten, seeds of brotherhood are sown, and beliefs merge.
1993 Lütfü Kırdar Sports Hall Unity Cem Program
1994 Atatürk Cultural Center Unity Cem Program
1995-2004 New Bosnia Cemevi Unity Cem Program
2004 Birlik Cem Program held at Abdi İpekçi Sports Hall with the participation of 25.000 people.
Programs Organized with Different Religious Groups:
In 2005, the Maftirim of a 300-year-old tradition was performed at the Galata Mevlevi Lodge with the Sephardic Jewish group, featuring performances with a choir, mutriban, and Sema group.
In 2007, celebrating the 800th anniversary of Mevlana’s birthday, declared the Year of Mevlana by UNESCO, our group attended the Greek Orthodox Church at Hagia Irene. Hejaz Greek hymns and Hejaz Mevlevi rituals were performed together with the priests.
In 2011, a Unity Cem with the Tolerance Choir and the Cem Foundation, consisting of European college students, was held.
In 2010, the Bakırköy Mufti’s Office Clergy Divine Community, Cem Foundation, and EMAV performed the Unity Sema at Bakırköy Sports Hall.
Our group, which includes participants from various nations, has begun its journey under the spiritual guidance of Hasan Rıza Dede.
They represent the ideas of Exalted Mevlana, as well as those of Exalted Muhammad and Exalted Ali, which are filled with tolerance, peace, unity, and divine love.
The performances of EMAV’s male and female whirling dervishes are closely followed around the world. Their colorful garments represent Mevlana’s spiritual rose garden.
They continue to deliver Exalted Mevlana’s divine message to today’s people and future generations.
