Seb-i Arus Celebration / Konya Turkey

2016, December 17

Konya is the fifth big city of Turkey and based on a biggest plain of Turkey and placed center-mid of Turkey. In winters it is snowy and dry-cold and summers are hot and dry.

How you can access to Konya?

First, you can come over Istanbul Ataturk International Airport which is on european side of Istanbul and use Airport-Coach Station metro line and get a coach to Konya or direct flight to Konya from the airport.

The other option is you can come to Sabiha Gokçen airport located on asian side of Istanbul. After that you can get on high-speed train from Kartal region named line Istanbul(Pendik)-Konya accelerated train line. The other option is to fly from Sabiha Gokcen airport to Konya with direct flights.

Both of Ataturk and Sabiha Gokcen airports have frequent internal-flights to Konya.

There are lots of brand name and boutique hotels in Konya city. Staying in these hotels are cheap. Buses, midibuses and tramway are used for travel in the city. One way tickets are around 2TRL. Cousine of Konya is famous. "Etli ekmek", "bıçakarası" (pressed meats and pizza flavour), tirit (slow cooked meat) are most known meals of Konya. You can buy "Mevlana Şekeri" (big white sugar; candy of Konya) for your friends as a gift. One package around 4-15 TRL depends on weight. You can find sugar shops around the Mewlana Mausoleum. 

Konya is a famous city with its green landspaces, mosques, museums and dives. Also a humor person Nasreddin Hoca's house and Meram grape farms are located in Konya. 

Seb-i Arus (The Wedding Day)

Every year at 17 December, the night of Mewlana's death, thousands of people from all around the world gather at the magnificient 13th century Mewlana Mausoleum to celebrate his "wedding day", his reunion with his Beloved, with the Divine. Seb-i Arus is a celebration, like a festival of the beauties being offered every moment to the Lovers of God. Mewlana is known a symbol of tolerance and peace. His is a famous scholar of religion.

Some of his sayings; 

" Sema is delight, healing for the spirit, nourishment for the soul.."

"Come, come again, whoever you are, come.

Heathen, fire worshipper or idolatrous, come.

Come even if you broke your penitence a hundred times,

Ours is the portal of hope, come as you are."

The Semazen: 

His black cloak: By removing it, spiritually makes his way there, he rises to reality to the eternal world.

His tall hat: which represents the tombstone of his egos' that is on his head.

His white dress: like garment, that is on him.

In this way, the Semazen is affirming Allah's (God) unity, by outwardly symbolizing the number "1" ONE, by crossing his arms and when making Sema, with his arms wide open, he turn his face toward his raised left hand with longing eyes, while his right hand is turned to the sky as if in prayer. The Semazen is receiving from God and is spreading it out to the people. By turning from right-to-left around his heart. 

"Semâ" came out of the inspiration of the 13th century Muslim scholar, mystic Mawlana (Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi-1207-1273). "Sema" represents the true spiritual journey to maturity. It is like a mi'raj an ascent to heaven and a return to earth. "Sema" is the "turning" of the human being towards truth, elevating his mind with love, abandoning his ego, becoming annihilated in God and returning again to serve all of existence and creation with a new soul on account of love and service, now as a mature person. 

The Sema ceremony consists of seven sections. In first section, to exalt our prophet is to exalt Allah who created everything, including all of the prophets that came prior to him. In second section, the striking of a drum is heard. This beating represents the command "Be!" which came from Allah during the creation of the universe. In third section, an improvisation on the reed flute is heard. It respresenets the Breath of God which gives life to everything. In fourth section, this is when the Semazens walk in a circle and give greetings to each ohter three times. It is accompanied by a musical prelude. In the fifth section, the Sema ceremony consists of four greetings. The Semazen, by removing his black cloak which he is wearing, is symbolic of his rising to the truth. With his arms still crossed, he represents and testifies to the Oneness of Allah.

He then obtains permission to enter the Sema by kissing the leaders hand... and the Sema begins.

In the sixth section, Sema ceremony continues with the reciting of the Kur'an. Finally, ın the seventh section, the ceremony comes to an end with a prayer for the souls of all believers. 

Where to go in Konya;

• Mevlana's museum and Mausoleum; Dergah(Holly school) has been welcoming visitors since 1926. There is a small museum inside. The graves of Mevlana and his family are located there.
• Karatay Medresesi: One of the most nice example of Secuklu (Seljuk) architecture. Tile's are very impressive.
• Alâeddin Hill: It is a rection spot; located core of the city and with cycle of it is world's biggest roundabout.
• İnce (the thin) Minaret Medrese: One of rarely seen architecture of Selcuklu. Constructed at 13. a.c. 
• Sille village: It's history comes from 6000 years ago. World's oldest monestary, that name called Ak monestary, located in there. Village is on Silkroad and Spicy road. It can be seen a lot of architectures from Bizantian ages.
• Kilistra Antique Town and Rock Graves: (Konya Kapadokya's) Constructed B.C 1. Placed on  Hatunsaray town at Göktürk village. Houses and pray homes are very impressive.
• Çatalhöyük Antique Town: World's first living place. Located at Çumra region.

Have fun ✈☺