Şeb-i Arûs: commemoration of Rumi in Konya

Şeb-i Arûs, the wedding night, is the name the Mevlevi tradition gives to Rumi's death on 17 December 1273, understood as his reunion with the Beloved. Every year, in the days leading up to that date, Konya holds the international commemoration ceremonies organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with concerts, lectures and performances of the sema, the whirling ceremony of the dervishes, in the hall of the Mevlana Cultural Centre. The cultural activities are free and the final ceremony on the 17th requires a ticket. It is the time of year when most pilgrims come to the city.