Due to the International Commemoration Ceremonies of Mevlana's 750th Anniversary, both local and foreign tourists are experiencing high traffic in Konya.
Visitors seeking the words of Mevlana, "Come, whoever you are," explore not only the Mevlana Museum during the day, but also the historical sites of the city. In the evenings, they attend the Sema Rituals (Sema Ayin-i Şerifi) held at the Mevlana Cultural Center.
Throughout the ceremonies, the international gathering draws participants from various corners of the world, with representation from countries like Iran, Pakistan, India, the Middle East, Gulf nations and Europe.
British citizen Muhammed Mubin, who visited the Mevlana Museum, told AA correspondent that he has been attending the ceremonies in Konya for eight years.
Mubin said that he first heard about Mevlana at four: "My father was a Masnavi teacher. Talking about Mevlana was our daily routine in our house. Türkiye is like our home; this is the heart of peace, and Konya is the city of hearts. Whenever I come here, I leave with positive impressions and feelings of respect and love for everyone. I want to thank Türkiye for their warm hospitality and these beautiful ceremonies."
Peter Pondoifino, a 70-year-old psychologist from the United States of America, stated that Mevlana's messages of love, humanity and tolerance affected him the most and said, "This is my first time in Konya, it is wonderful, very beautiful; I like it very much. Especially being in the Mevlana Museum gives me a deep sense of peace."
A Chinese citizen, Eric Jiang, said it was his first time in Türkiye.
Emphasizing that he was very impressed by Mevlana, Eric Jiang said, "I was very interested in the way he thought about life, life and especially the afterlife. We will go to the ceremonies tonight and watch the whirling dervishes."
In addition to the Sema Rituals, many events such as panels, conferences, exhibitions, concerts, theater performances and music concerts are organized in the city between Dec. 7 and 17.
Since 2016, the ceremonies have been conducted under the themes of Unity, Brotherhood, Greeting, Loyalty, Benevolence, Wisdom and Friendship; this year's theme has been set as the time of union ''Vuslat Vakti'', and throughout the ceremonies, it is anticipated that approximately 40 thousand people will attend the Sema Rituals held at the Mevlana Cultural Center.
