Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
MEMOrients CONFERENCE: New Encounters, Cape-Town, Güney Afrika, 11 - 14 Aralık 2025, (Özet Bildiri)
Sema and Ney in the Diaries of John Covel:
An English Clergyman’s
Fascination and Scepticism towards the Whirling Dervishes
John Covel, a seventeenth-century Anglican clergyman and traveller, documented his encounters with the religious diversity of the Ottoman Empire in his diaries. His writings provide insight into European perceptions of religious pluralism in the Ottoman Empire and the broader dynamics of cross-cultural encounters in the seventeenth century. His writings offer a European perspective on Islam, Eastern Christianity, and Judaism, while also providing a rare firsthand account of the mystical practices of the Whirling Dervishes of the Mevlevi Order. His interactions with the Greek Orthodox Church reflect a tension between Anglican and Eastern Christian traditions, particularly regarding the veneration of icons and liturgical practices. However, it is his account of the Whirling Dervishes’ Sema, ceremonial dance that stands out as a significant contribution to early European documentation of Sufi mysticism. Covel describes the ceremony in detail, noting the dervishes’ structured, trance-like whirling, the symbolic hand gestures, and the accompanying ecstatic music, particularly the ney - reed flute. While he recognizes the discipline and devotion involved, his Anglican background leads him to question the spiritual legitimacy of the practice, likening it to monastic mysticism yet viewing it with suspicion. This paper explores how his descriptions reflect both fascination and scepticism, capturing the tensions of early modern interfaith encounters.