Mawlawi sufi order

The Mevlevi (Mevlevilk or Mawlawi) were the well-established sufi order in Konya in the Ottoman Empire by the followers of Jalaleddin al-Rumi).  Rumi was a 13th century Persian poet, Islamic jurist, and theologian. 
                                

 "Mevlevi dervishes whirling" in Pera by Jean-Paptiste varn Mour                                      

 They are also known as the Whirling Dervishes due to their famous practice of whirling as a form of dhikr (remembrance of God). Dervish is a common term for an initiate of the Sufi path; the whirling is part of the formal Sema ceremony.

                                                                      

"Mevlevi dervishes in 1887"

Vocal and instrumental music such as kudum, ney, and daf play an important role in the Mevlevi Sema Ceremony.

During the Ottoman era, the Mevlevi order produced a number of famous poets and musicians such as Sheikh Ghalib and Ismail Ankaravi.  The Mevlevi order spread into the Balkans, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt. 

Whirling in Istanbul, Turkey