Whirling Dervish/Mevlevi Sikke

Turkey

Late 20th century

Felted wool, cotton

The Whirling Dervishes, founded in 1273 by Rumi, a Persian poet and theologian, whirl as an act of meditation and as a means of achieving spiritual enlightenment. The sama, as the whirling ceremony is known, represents a mystical journey to seek truth, love, and oneness with God. A Sikke, the hat worn by the Dervishes (or Semazens), symbolizes not a closeness to God but a tombstone signifying the death of one’s ego. The leader of the sama wears a Sikke with a “destar,” or turban. The loose end of fabric is worn draped over his left shoulder, signifying the connection between brain and heart.

Mehmet Girgiç, the maker of this hat, is a master felt-maker who in 2010 was recognized as one of seven Turkish Living Treasures by UNESCO and the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He renovated all the Whirling Dervish hats in the collection of the Mevlana Museum in Konya, Turkey, and continues to do felt work in both traditional and contemporary designs.