“The Conquest 1453” 

 Ready to hit cinemas on February 17, 2012

The film titled “The Conquest 1453”, which began shooting at the beginning of 2009 and was also sponsored by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) will be released on February 17, 2012.

“The Conquest 1453”, directed by Faruk Aksoy tells the story of Constantinople (Istanbul)'s capture by the Ottoman Turks during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II. It stars Devrim Evin as Mehmet II, İbrahim Çelikkol as Ulubatlı Hasan and Dilek Serbest as Era. Fetih 1453 will be released in different countries during 16 February 2012, including United States, the United Kingdom, France, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Germany, Macedonia, Russia, Azerbaijan and several others.

The film is based on two main characters, Sultan Mehmed II, and Ulubatlı Hasan, a soldier believed to be the first person to have planted the Ottoman flag on the walls of Istanbul during the final assault on the city.

"The Conquest 1453" was shot over a period of three years and cost an estimated $17 million – the highest ever in Turkish cinema history. The movie trailer itself took 1.5 months to complete and cost $600,000. The trailer was viewed by over 1.5 million people within 24 hours of its release.

The film will hit cinemas Feb. 17, 2012.

 FOR MORE INFORMATION : http://www.1453fetih.com/

MEVLANA

SEB-İ ARUS (MEVLANA)

Every 17 December, the night of Mevlana’s death, thousands of people from all around the world gather at the magnificient 13th century Mevlana Mausoleum to celebrate Seb-i Arus, his ‘Wedding Day’, his reunion with his Beloved, with the Divine.

During his last hours his wife pleaded with Mevlana to not leave and ask God to let him stay here a little longer. Mevlana’s reply was thus:

Am I a thief?
Have I stolen someone’s goods?
Is this why you would confine me here and keep me from being rejoined with my Love?

So we see his opinion of death. It is the time of release from this cage of the body; the time when the bird of the soul flies free. But it is thus for the soul which has realized the Divine within and has become purified of all earthly desires. For those on the path of Mevlana, Seb-i Arus is a celebration, like a festival of the beauties being offered every moment to the Lovers of God.

According to Mevlana’s teachings, human beings are born twice, once of their mothers and the second time of their own bodies. The real birth is the second, spiritual birth. Mevlevi dervishes, guided by a spiritual leader, are expected to live as members of the Mevlevi Order, according to the principles of his teaching. A long period of spiritual progress is necessary before they can participate in the whirling dance, for which they wear a tall cap symbolizing the tomb of carnality, and a white robe which is its shroud.

Those who live this celebration every year and also those experiencing it for the first time, were given at least a taste of the beauties and wonders of loving God, of wanting to be with God eternally.

MEVLANA

WHAT İS SAMA ?

Sama (Arabic: سَمَاع‎ – samā‘un) is a Sufi ceremony performed as dhikr. Sama means “listening”, while dhikr means “remembrance”. These rituals often includes singing, playing instruments, dancing, recitation of poetry and prayers, wearing symbolic attire, and other rituals. It is a particularly popular form of worship in the Chisti order of the Indian subcontinent.



Etymology

This term stems from the root-verb meaning acceptance by tradition, from which derives the words سَمْع (sam‘un) and اِسْتِمَاع (’istimā‘un, listening), often paired with نَقْل (naqlun) and تَقْلِيد (taqlīdun, tradition). It may have been in use since the 10th century to refer to a type of dhikr (remembrance of God), aspiritual concert, a ceremony used by various Sufi orders, particularly the Chisti order of the sub-continent. It often involves prayer, song and dance.

Origin

The origination of Sama is credited to Rumi, Sufi master and creator of the Mevlevis. The story of the creation of this unique form of dhikr is that Rumi was walking through the town marketplace one day when he heard the rhythmic hammering of the goldbeaters. It is believed that Rumi heard the dhikr, “la ilaha ilallah” or in English, “no god but Allah” in the apprentices beating of the gold and so entranced in happiness he stretched out both of his arms and started spinning in a circle (sufi whirling). With that the practice of Sema and the dervishes of the Mevlevi order were born. The sama’ has roots in Persian and Turkish culture, and is associated with oriental traditions.

Abu Sa`id, (357 A.H.) (967 c.e.) was born in Mayhana, a town near Sarakhs, which today is in the former Soviet Republic of Turkmenistan, bordering Iran. He is noted for establishing a rule for conduct in the khanaqah and also for the introduction of music (sama’), poetry and dance, as part of the Sufi collective devotional ritual of dhikr.

Symbolism


The Sama represents a mystical journey of man’s spiritual ascent through mind and love to perfection. Turning towards the truth, the follower grows through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth and arrives at perfection. He then returns from this spiritual journey as a man who has reached maturity and a greater perfection, so as to love and to be of service to the whole of creation. Rumi has said in reference to Sama’, “For them it is the Sama’ of this world and the other. Even more for the circle of dancers within the Sama’ who turn and have in their midst, their own Ka’aba.” This relates Sama’ to the pilgrimage to Mecca, in that both are intended to bring all who are involved closer to God.

Components

Sama emphasizes singing, but also includes the playing of instruments, particularly for introductions and accompaniments. However, only instruments which are symbolic and not considered profane are used. The most common of these are the tambourine, bells, and flute. It often includes the singing of hymns, called qawl and bayt. Poetry is often included in the ceremony as well, because while it is inadequate by itself, it works together with aid in spiritual contemplation. Any poetry, even the erotic, can be applied to God, and thus used for this ceremony. However, the listener’s heart must first be pure, or the dancing components of sama’ will make these people full of lust instead of love for God. Additionally, being in love with a person rather than with God clouds a person’s mind when they are listening to erotic poetry. Verses from the Qur’an are never used for this purpose, and not only because their meanings are said to be somewhat dulled through repetition. Qur’anic verses are never to be set to meditation, nor ornamented or improvised in any way, so that they remain sacred texts.

Purpose

Sama is a means of meditating on God through focusing on melodies and dancing. It brings out a person’s love of God, purifies the soul, and is a way of finding God. This practice is said to reveal what is already in one’s heart, rather than creating emotions. All of a person’s doubt disappears, and the heart and soul can communicate directly with God. The immediate goal of sama’ is to reach wajd, which is a trance-like state of ecstasy.Physically, this state may include various and unexpected movements, agitation, and all types of dancing.  Another state that people hope to reach through sama’ is khamra, which means “spiritual drunkenness”. Ultimately, people hope to achieve the unveiling of mysteries and gain spiritual knowledge through wajd. Sometimes, the experience of wajd becomes so strong that fainting or even, in extreme circumstances, death, occurs.

Etiquette

Participants in sama are expected to remain silent and still, and controlled throughout the ceremony, unless wajd occurs. This way, a higher degree of spiritual contemplation can be reached. Participants must restrain themselves from movement and crying until they reach a point in which they can no longer hold back. At this point, wajd can be reached. It is essential that the trance-like experience of wajd be genuine and not faked for any reason. Also, people must maintain proper intent and actions must be present throughout the sama’; otherwise, they cannot experience the ceremony’s intended positive effects.

Controversy

Muslims are divided into two groups regarding the issue of sama and the use of music in general:
 1) Advocates, which are most Sufis and other mystics, and 
 2) Opponents.

Advocates view chants as a required practice for spiritual growth. Abu Hamid al-Ghazzali was a firm advocate for music, and believed that wajd aroused passionate love for God  Al-Ghazzali wrote a chapter entitled “Concerning Music and Dancing as Aids to the Religious Life”, where he emphasized how the practices of music and dance are beneficial to Muslims, as long as their hearts are pure before engaging in these practices.

Opponents find music as an Innovation bidah and associated with infidelity. They compare the physical sensations experienced by a person in the state of wajd to a state of physical drunkenness, and therefore do not condone it.

In Practice

Due to differences in culture between Muslim groups, participation in musical performance is condoned in some and considered questionable in others. Meditation and Sufi practices are allowed in Islam as long as they are within the limits of the Shari’ah (Islamic law). All castes can participate, although there is debate between Sufis and legalists about whether novice Sufis and ones more advanced in their faith are capable of achieving the same positive results from sama’. The same debate exists for the young, and whether they are capable of overcoming their lust and clearing their hearts to worship God.

WHAT İS MEVLEVİ ORDER ?

The Mevlevi Order, or the Mevlevilik or Mevleviye (Persian: مولويه – Molavīyeh) are a Sufi order founded in Konya (in present-day Turkey) by the followers of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi, a 13th century Persian poet, Islamic jurist, and theologian. 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 Sama ceremony and the participants are properly known as semazen-s.

Principles

Model of a dervish studyingThe Mawlawi order was founded in 1273 by Rumi’s followers after his death, particularly by his successor Hüsamettin Çelebi who decided to build a mausoleum for Mawlâna, and then Mawlâna’s son, Baha al-Din Muhammad-i Walad (or Çelebi, Chelebi, meaning “fully initiated”). He was an accomplished Sufi mystic with great organizing talents. His personal efforts were continued by his successor Ulu Arif Çelebi.The Mawlawi believe in performing their dhikr in the form of a “dance” and musical ceremony known as the Sama, which involves the whirling, from which the order acquired its nickname. The Sema represents a mystical journey of man’s spiritual ascent through mind and love to the “Perfect”. Turning towards the truth, the follower grows through love, deserts his ego, finds the truth, and arrives at the “Perfect”. He then returns from this spiritual journey as a man who has reached maturity and a greater perfection, able to love and to be of service to the whole of creation.Rumi has said in reference to Sema:”For them it is the Semaof this world and the other.Even more for the circle of dancerswithin the SemaWho turn and have, in their midst,their own Ka’aba.”and what he is saying is that when, like in Mecca you have come closer to God, likewise when you perform Sema you are also closer to God.

 

History

Mevlevi dervishes whirling in Pera by Jean-Baptiste van MourThe Mevlevi became a well-established Sufi order in the Ottoman Empire by realizing a blood relationship with the Ottoman sultans when Devlet Hatun, a descendant of Sultan Veled married the sultan Bayezid I. Their son Mehmed I Çelebi became the next sultan, endowing the order, as did his successors, with many gifts.

Mevlani museum in KonyaMany of the members of the order served in various official positions of the Caliphate. The centre for the Mawlawi order was in Konya, where their 13th century guiding spirit, Mewlana (Jelaleddin al-Rumi) is buried. There is also a Mevlevi monastery or dergah in Istanbul, near the Galata Tower, where the sama (whirling ceremony) is performed and accessible to the public.During the Ottoman Empire era, the Mevlevi order produced a number of famous poets and musicians such as Sheikh Ghalib, Ismail Ankaravi (both buried at the Galata Mevlevi-Hane) and Abdullah Sari. Vocal and instrumental music, especially the ney, plays an important role in the Mevlevi ceremony and famous composers such as Dede Efendi wrote music for the ayin (cycle of Mevlevi ceremonial music). The ayin text is normally a selection from the poetry of Mevlana. If one buys a CD of Turkish Sufi music, chances are it will be a Mevlevi ayin.During the Ottoman period, the Mevlevi order spread into the Balkans, Syria, Lebanon, and Egypt (and is still practiced in both countries where they are known as the Mewlewi Order). The Bosnian writer Meša Selimović wrote the book “The Dervish and Death” about a Mevlevi dergah in Sarajevo.The Mevlevi Order has some similarities to other Dervish orders such as the Qadiri (founded in 1165), the Rifa’i (founded in 1182), and the Kalenderis.

The Mevlevi Regiment
During World War I, Mevlevi Regiment served in Syria and Palestine under the command of 4th Army. A battalion of some 800 dervishes was formed December 1914 in Konya (the Mucahidin-i Mevleviyye) and was sent to Damascus. Another battalion of regular recruits was added at the end of August 1916, and together they formed the Mevlevi Regiment. This unit did not fight until the end of the Palestine campaign and was disbanded at the end of September 1918.Mustafa Kemal met with members of the Mevlevi Order in 1923 before its institutional expression became illegal.[edit]Since 1925The Mevlevi Order was outlawed in Turkey in September 1925 by Atatürk’s new Turkish Republic. The Dervish lodge in Istanbul, Galata Mevlevihanesi, eventually became the Mevlana Museum.It is believed that since 1925, Rumi’s descendants still practiced their unique form of dancing zikr, called “semâ” by the Mevlevi. In 1954 the Mevlevi were given partial rights to perform semâ in public but primarily because it was important as a tourist attraction for Turkey, but as a Sufi order they are still banned.[14] In 1971, they performed in London with Kâni Karaca as lead singer. In 1972, they toured North America for the first time with Kâni Karaca, Ulvi Erguner, and Akagündüz Kutbay among the musicians. They performed in France, for Pope Paul VI, and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and other venues in the United States and Canada – under the direction of the late Mevlevi Shaikh Suleyman Hayati Dede. In April 2007 the order initiated another tour of the U.S. where they performed to sold-out crowds in places such as Denver and San Francisco.The order is still active in Turkey, currently led by the 20th great-grandson (22nd generation descendant) of Rumî, Faruk Hemdem Çelebi. The Mevlevi Order survives because it managed to transform itself into a nonpolitical organization.

 

Presence in the United States

Suleiman Hayati Dede, the Mawlawi Sheikh of Konya, Turkey ordered his son in 1986 to go to America to spread the Mawlawi tradition to the West. Since then, his son Postneshin Jelaleddin Loras has established and is currently the Spiritual Director and President of the Mevlevi Order of America. His website has made the following statement in regards to their purpose in America. “The Mevlevi are mystics, believing that one’s path is to God. Mysticism is concerned with developing one’s abilities and capacity through emotional, intellectual, and physical practices. We greatly respect all genuine traditions of belief and faith which seek to accept the responsibility of humanity to care for each other and our world. We firmly reject the actions of those who pervert the words of God to justify violence for political ends.”

WHO İS RUMİ?

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī (Persian: جلال‌الدین محمد بلخى), also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (Persian: جلال‌الدین محمد رومی) and popularly known as Mevlānā in Turkey and Mawlānā[1] (Persian: مولانا) in Iran and Afghanistan but known to the English-speaking world simply as Rumi (30 September 1207 – 17 December 1273) was a 13th-century Persian Muslim poet, jurist, theologian, and Sufi mystic. Rūmī is a descriptive name meaning “Roman” since he lived most of his life in an area called “Rumi” (then under the control of Seljuq dynasty) because it was once ruled by the Eastern Roman Empire. He was one of the figures who flourished in theSultanate of Rum.
He was born in Balkh Province in Afghanistan.  a small town located at the river Wakhsh in Persia (in what is now Tajikistan). Wakhsh belonged to the larger province of Balkh, and in the year Rumi was born, his father was an appointed scholar there. Both these cities were at the time included in the greater Persian cultural sphere of Khorasan, the easternmost province of Persia and was part of theKhwarezmian Empire.
His birthplace and native language both indicate a Persian heritage. His father decided to migrate westwards due to quarrels between different dynasties in Khorasan, opposition to the Khwarizmid Shahs who were considered devious by Bahā ud-Dīn Walad (Rumi’s father),[18]or fear of the impending Mongol cataclysm. Rumi’s family traveled west, first performing the Hajj and eventually settling in the Anatolian city Konya (capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, in present-day Turkey). This was where he lived most of his life, and here he composed one of the crowning glories of Persian literature which profoundly affected the culture of the area.
He lived most of his life under the Sultanate of Rum, where he produced his works and died in 1273 AD. He was buried in Konya and his shrine became a place of pilgrimage.[22] Following his death, his followers and his son Sultan Walad founded the Mevlevi Order, also known as the Order of the Whirling Dervishes, famous for its Sufi dance known as the Sama ceremony.
Rumi’s works are written in the New Persian language. A Persian literary renaissance (in the 8th/9th century) started in regions of Sistan,Khorāsān and Transoxiana[23] and by the 10th/11th century, it reinforced the Persian language as the preferred literary and cultural language in the Persian Islamic world. Rumi’s importance is considered to transcend national and ethnic borders. His original works are widely read in their original language across the Persian-speaking world. Translations of his works are very popular in other countries. His poetry has influenced Persian literature as well as Urdu, Punjabi and other Pakistani languages written in Perso/Arabic script e.g. Pashto and Sindhi. His poems have been widely translated into many of the world’s languages and transposed into various formats. In 2007, he was described as the “most popular poet in America.”

Did you know?

* The only city in the world located on two continents is Istanbul, which has been the capital of three great empires, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman for more than 2,000 years. * The world’s oldest known settlement is in Catalhoyuk in central Anatolia, Turkey, and dates back to 6,500 BC. * St Nicolas – the original Santa Claus – was born in Patara in Turkey and has a church dedicated to him in Demre. * Virgin Mary spent her last days in Selcuk, İzmir, near the ancient city of Ephesus. * Leonardo da Vinci drew designs for a bridge over the Golden Horn, an inlet at the mouth of the Bosphorus. However the bridge was never built. * Julius Caesar proclaimed his celebrated words “Veni. Vedi, Vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered) in Turkey when he defeated Pontus, a formidable Kingdom in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. * Aesop – famous for his fables and parables – was born in Anatolia. * The first known University in history is in Harran, Southeast Turkey. * Homer (Homeros) was born in Izmir on the west coast of Turkey and he depicted Troy, which is north of Izmir, in his Epic the Iliad. * The smallpox vaccination was introduced to England and Europe from Turkey by Lady Montague in the early 19th century (after Turkish physicians saved her son’s life). * Part of Turkey’s south western shore was a wedding gift from Mark Antony to Cleopatra. * The famous Trojan Wars took place in western Turkey, around the site where a wooden model of the Trojan Horse has been erected at the site. * Alexander the Great conquered a large territory in what is now Turkey and cut the Gordion Knot in the Phrygian capital (Gordium) not far from Turkey's present-day capital (Ankara). * One of the seven wonders, The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (today only base ruins remained in Selcuk, Izmir) * One of the seven wonders, The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus today only base ruins remained in Bodrum, Mugla * The word "turquoise" derives from the French word for Turkish (Turquois), the beautiful colour of waters of the Mediterranean Sea on the southern Turkish coast. * The first coins ever minted were done so at Sardis, near İzmir, the capital of the ancient Kingdom of Lycia, at the end of the seventh century B.C. * According to the Legend of Great Flood, after the withdrawal of the waters,Noah's Ark landed on Mount Ağrı in eastern Anatolia. * Anatolia is the birthplace of many historical figures such as the Phrygian King Midas, the father of historyHerodotus and St Paul. * One of the first most accurate world maps were drawn by the well-known Turkish cartographer and navigator Piri Reis in 16th century. * Contrary to popular opinion, tulip originated not in Holland but on the Asian steppes. The Turks first gave the Dutch their famous tulips that started the craze for the flower in England and the Netherlands. There is a period of elegance and amusement in 18th century is named "The Tulip Age" in Ottoman Empire. * The Seven Churchesreferred in the Book of Revelation are all found in Turkey: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. * The most valuable silk carpet in the world is in the Mevlana Museum in Konya, Turkey. Marco Polo'sjourneys in the thirteenth centuries took him here, and he remarked that the "best and handsomest of rugs" were to be found in Turkey. * The first man ever to flywas Turkish. Using two wings, Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi flew from the Galata Tower over the Bosphorus to land in Uskudar in the 17th century. * Gobekli Tepe /Sanliurfa is the oldest human-made place of worship yet discovered.Dated to 7500 - 6000 BC. * The number of archaeological excavations going on in Turkey every year is at least 150 * The Amazons originated in Turkey's Northeastern region * Anatolia is the location of the first known beauty contest, judged by Paris, with Aphrodite, Hera and Athena as leading participants * World's first known bank is at the Temple of Sard Artemis located at Salihli/Manisa. Banking task were fulfilled by the priests of temple. *The oldest known shipwreck  in the world was excavated in Kas. The shipwreck is on display now in Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum.

WHERE İS TURKEY? DO YOU KNOW?

A Country for All Tastes

Turkey has so much to offer her visitors; breathtaking natural beauties, unique historical and archaeological sites, steadily improving hotel and touristic infrastructure and a tradition of hospitality and competitive prices. Therefore, it is not surprising that this country has recently become one of the world's most popular tourism destinations. Due to Turkey's diverse geography, one can experience four different climates in any one day. The rectangular shaped country is surrounded on three sides by three different seas. Its shores are laced with beaches, bays, coves, ports, islands and peninsulas. The summers are long, lasting as long as eight months in some areas. Turkey is also blessed with majestic mountains and valleys, lakes, rivers, waterfalls and grottoes perfect for winter and summer tourism and sports of all kinds.

Fethiye

Skiing fans, mountain climbers, trekkers, hikers and hunters can enjoy new and unforgettable experiences in Turkey. Turkey is, above anything else, a huge open-air museum, a repository of all the civilizations nurtured by the soils of Anatolia. The huge amount of historical and archaeological wealth in Turkey seems more appropriate for an entire continent than a single country. Recently, a new field of tourism has opened up: health tourism. The country is in fact rich with hot springs, healing waters and healing muds, which come highly recommended by the medical authorities as a remedy for many diseases.

Konya / Mevlana

For centuries, Turkey has also been a crossroads of religions, not only of Islam and Christianity, but also of many others now forgotten by history. Many religious devotees can find a site, a shrine, a monument, a tomb or a ruin connected with their faith or belief.

COUNTRY PROFILE & FACTS

Official Name
Republic of Turkey 
Date of Foundation
29 October 1923
Capital                                                 
Ankara 
Largest Cities 
Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Antalya 
Area                              
814.578 km2
Geographical Coordinates
Eastern Meridians 26° and 45° and Northern Parallels 36° and 42° 
Coastal Borders
Mediterranean Sea in the south, Aegean Sea in the west and Black Sea in the north
Language                   
The official language is Turkish. English is widely spoken in major cities. 
Currency                   
TL (Turkish Lira) 1 Euro approximately equals to 2,30 Turkish Liras. 
Time Zone
GMT+2; CET +1; and EST (US -East) +7
Business Hours   
The workweek in Turkey runs from Monday to Friday. Banks, government offices and majority of corporate offices open at 9 AM and close at 5 PM.
Public Holidays
There are two types of public holidays in Turkey: Those that fall on the same day each year; and the religious festivals, which change according to the lunar calendar and, therefore, fall on different dates each year.
1 January, 23 April, 1 May, 19 May, 30 August, 28 & 29 October 
Eid (Ramadan): 30 August – 1st September 2011 
Greater Eid: 7-9 November 2011 
Visas
Visas are easily obtained upon arrival at the air­port and are required for citizens of most countries.
Electricity
220V. European standard round two-pin sockets. 
Health Services
Cities and major touristic towns have a selection of private inter­national and public hospitals with good standards.
Food
 As with many Mediterranean nations Turkish food is very healthy, fresh and enjoyable.
Water
Tap water is chlorinated and, therefore, safe to drink. However, it is recommended that you consume bottled water, which is readily and cheaply available.
Communications
Turkey has three GSM operators, all of them offering 3G services and almost 95% coverage over the country. Internet service is available all around the country. 
International Dial Code
+90