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Whirling dervishes of the Mevlevi order perform during a Sheb-i Arus ceremony in Konya, central Turkey.
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Every December the Anatolian city hosts a series of the spectacular events.
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The festival is held to commemorate the death of 13th century Islamic scholar, poet and Sufi mystic Jalaladdin Rumi.
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Thousands travel to the city, where the main events in a week-long festival are the Sheb-i Arus, or "night of union" ceremonies.
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After prayers and verses from the Quran, the dervishes perform the spinning dance that takes them into a trance-like state.
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The dervishes' long hats symbolise tombstones.
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Their long white robes symbolise shrouds.
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Their spinning induces a trance-like state which the dervishes believe brings them closer to God.
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The ceremony ends, like it began, with prayer.