BRINGING SEMAH TO LIVE - Pir Sultan Cultural Centre and ... · Edinburgh Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural...

BRINGING SEMAH TO LIVE

CREATORS OF BRINGING SEMAH TO LIVE PROJECT PROJECT MANAGER Aydın Doğan PROJECT RESEARCHER and TEACHER Mehmet Yüksel Dede PROJECT CONTRIBUTIONS Saffet Yürükel / Semah Teacher Makbule Dağdelen / Follower of the Sinemilli Lodge İbrahim Yaygır / Follower of the Sinemilli Lodge TRANSLATORS Dilara Kaya Gülay Dalkılıç Müjgan Yılmaz VETERANS Pir-Der members and Semah Team Acknowledgment We would like to thanks for the Heritage Lottery Fund for funding this amazing project. We would like to also say thank you for the Project Manager Aydın Doğan and Project Researcher and Teacher Mr. Mehmet Yüksel Dede. Furthermore, big thank you for children, young people and people who participated in the project and made this project happen. On behalf of Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Centre and Cemevi Zekeriya Armut

BRINGING SEMAH TO LIVE 2

When it comes to concepts that express social identities and beliefs such as Alevism, Bektaşism, Kızılbaş and Mevlevism, the first terms that come to mind immediately afterward are “Sema / Semah” and “Ayin-i Cem”. Especially for Alevi-Bektaşi-Kızılbaş people cem and semah are an integral part or even the main element of all kinds of rituals, life and faith.

Although some different interpretations have been made about the origin, the word “Sema” or “Semah”, which both linguists and researchers agree with, is derived from the Arabic “sem” meaning “hearing and listening”. One of God’s ninety-nine names (Esma-i Hüsna) is “Semi” in the sense of “good hearing”. The word coming from the root of “sem” in Arabic and beginning with the letter “sin” is also read as “sema” and means “sky”. In addition, another form of expression of the same word also comes to the meaning of “dance”. In ancient Arabic this phrase also meant “singing and playing the instrument”. The word has gradually been used in the sense of “feast with instruments and songs”. Although Semah means sacred, religious, and divine in the meaning it has received and carried today, in essence such a ritual like this has been carried out for similar purposes by different communities in every aspect of human history.


Semah is one of the main twelve services of the Cem rituals which are considered as religious practices by Alevi-Bektaşi-Kızılbaş adherents. It can be described as a set of mystical and aesthetic movements in rhythmic harmony performed by pervane (semah dancers), accompanied by zakirs playing the saz (musical performers in Cem rituals).

Semahs can be described as a set of mystical and aesthetic body movements in rhythmic harmony. They constitute one of the twelve main services found in Cem rituals, religious practices performed by adherents of Alevi-Bektaşi-Kızılbaş, a belief system nourished by a variety of beliefs and cultural sources. Alevism reached its maturity in Anatolia, Alevi Order has distinguished itself from mainstream Alevi belief system, with respect to its roots, formation processes and current cultural background. The Alevi belief system has been enhanced and cultivated by a great variety of beliefs and cultures in the history of Anatolia. Semah performers are known as semazen or pervane and they are accompanied by devout musicians playing the saz, a long-necked lute. Various forms of Semah exist in Alevi communities across the world, each with distinct musical characteristics and rhythmic structures.


One consistent characteristic is the performance of the ritual by both men and women, side by side. Semah rituals are founded upon the concept of unity with Hakk (God) as part of a natural cycle: people come from Hakk and return to Hakk.

From the past till now in Anatolian Alevi-Kızılbaş tradition, Semah and Cem have become one of the most important elements of life and worship with their meaning and values. Although in Alevism Semah is linked with the Prophet Muhammed’s journey to meet with God and the mythological “Cem of the Forty”, there are different opinions in the Islamic circle and opinions that link semah with the history of humanity and the creation of the universe.


As a result, semah trying to be grounded in many different myths and stories is a sign of how much importance Semah carries and how it is related to every aspect of life in today’s Alevi tradition. Semah, expressed in various forms such as “samah”, “zamah” or “samak” in different regions in the past and present, has always been an integral and important part of the Alevi communities’ life and cem ceremonies. Semah is a crucial part of Cem ceremonies and “muhabbet” discussions seen as “schools of wisdom”, where the culture is continued, and rituals fulfilled.

Semahs are the most crucial means for the transmission of the Alevi tradition. All practices, traditional motifs and teachings are passed on orally, and distinct genres of art and literature associated with the tradition continue to thrive. In this way, Semahs play a crucial role in fostering and enriching the traditional music culture of Alevis. According to Alevis, Semah is symbol of creation, of the universe and of all existence. The creation of the universe begins with rotation (movement) and everything revolves around one another.


The common feature between all that is created is movement and commemorating the creator. This includes movement in cells, movement of electrons and protons in atoms, movement of blood around the body, people coming from earth and retuning to earth and the turning of galaxies around each other.

“Semah is the spiritual or holy form of dance. It has no relation to dances that carry mixed feelings. Rather, it is an inspiration from the heart that is filled with love, almost like a revelation to become one with God.” (Dr. Bedri Noyan Dedebaba) As the great poet, Aşık Hüdai, beautifully depicts, “The whole universe revolves with the Semah / The suns burns with love,” those perfoming semah wish to become one with Hakk.

Movements during Semah have different spiritual meanings such as flying in the sky, turning around the sun like the planets, flying and beating wings like cranes. The turning also symbolizes that nothing stops, or dies rather it moves on changing shape or form.


Aside from Cem ceremonies, Semah may be performed at social or cultural meetings or used as part of a presentation to introduce the culture. However, it is not acceptable for Semah to be performed as entertainment, at weddings or other events where the rules cannot be applied.

Many Semahs have common features in their rhythm. They all start with a slow tempo, acccelerate and then slow down before stopping. This symbolizes the flight and return of the soul and emotions. Men and women perform Semah together as they do in Cem ceremonies. This emphasises the unity and equality between men and women.


Semah may be performed in everyday, clean clothes without need for special clothes and costumes. No special clothes are required for Semah with the exception of a few special Semahs.

The opening of arms in some Semahs, the turning of palms to the sky and the ground, shows the connection and passage between people and Hakk and means to be taken from Hakk and given to the people. The turning of the palm of the hand towards the face symbolizes seeing oneself in the mirror, thus seeing a part of Hakk within oneself. (I held the mirror to my face, and saw Ali / I looked at my essence, and saw Ali)


This and many other symbolic practices are indicative of how much Alevis have become one with Semah and given it great meaning. We must perceive the diversity that emerges in our Semah according to the geography of the people and the ethnocultural and social structure in which we live, as beauty, diversity and richness.

As bearers and practitioners of the Semah tradition, Alevi communities are existent all across the world. UNESCO accepts Semah as a vessel for the expression and manifestation of cultural heritage. In this way Semah uses: Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of intangible cultural heritage. Performing arts in the transmission of rhetoric skills through songs recited by zakirs and prayers uttered by the Dede (spiritual leader). Social practices, rituals and festive events with regular semah performances in Cem rituals.


Today, the Alevi community has migrated to many countries of the world, especially to Europe, for political, religious and economic reasons. The first generation who migrated with the dream of returning home one day, cannot think of this anymore due to the new generation being brought up in these areas, establishment of businesses and settling in life, in general. Living in these “new countries” for a long time and meeting new cultures inevitably weakened their ties with the culture and history that they come from. This led to new problems and assimilation in terms of faith identity and social life. To overcome these problems and allow their culture and values to live, people got together establishing Cemevis and community centres in Europe.

Edinburgh Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Centre and Cemevi (Pir-Der) was also established with these aims, in 2014 under the umbrella of the Britain Alevi Federation. In addition to many religious, cultural and social activities, the Cemevi also has projects for Semah research and education.


A significant part of the Alevi-Kızılbaş community, settled by migration to and around Edinburgh, came mainly from the Maraş-Elbistan region. Another name of this region in Alevi literature is “Sinemilli Region”. “Sinemilli” is the name of a large geographical area of Anatolia as well as a large Alevi lodge. The Alevi-Kızılbaş faith can be seen as an “organization of lodges” and many lodges’ “Dedes and followers” are scattered throughout the region. In this sense, each regions’ ceremonies and rituals are essentially the same with minor differences in practice. These differences are seen as tremendous wealth and thus enables a community with many different ethnic origins to live the same belief.

The Alevi community that migrated to Edinburgh and united under the roof of Pir-Der are mainly Kurdish Alevis belonging to the Sinemilli Lodge in Elbistan in Maraş.


In this study, we discussed a semah from the Sinemilli region, where members of Pir-Der are from. As an example a semah named “Ağbaba Semahı” was taken from an audio recording of “Mehmet Mustafa Yüksel Dede”, one of Dedes from the central village of Kantarma which belongs in the Elbistan Sinemilli community in Edinburgh.

Mehmet Mustafa Yüksel Dede Through this example, we researched how people in this region performed Semah. Following interviews with the elders of this area, this semah was performed and recorded. Saffet Yürükel: Semah, consists of the words sem and sim, and means to go to the skies. It has been a form of worship for people for thousands of years in Mesopotamia, Anatolia and the Middle East. We are trying to explain that Semah is not an entertaining tool. Hunkar Haci Bektasi Veli says: Semah is not a toy / It is a divine love, not a swing Whoever knows semah as a game /Even if they are a believer, will not be able to pray Our spiritual leaders have portrayted this clearly. Semah has a very special place for the Alevi, Bektaşi and Kızılbaş communities.


It has played an important part of their history as a form of worship and we are trying to keep this tradition alive.

Saffet Yürükel / Semah Teacher

Every move within semah has a meaning. Firstly the the turn we name “pervaz” represents the fire turning around its own orbit. For example Mehmet Ali Hilmi Dedebaba has a idiom (deyiş), “I held the mirror to my face, I saw Ali”. The Tahracis (A Turkmen Alevi community) usually look at their hands during semah and place a mirror. They believed to see the Hakk (God) and Ali there.

The Kırat Semah performed at Malatya, Arguvan, Haçova, Arapgir areas represent all the planets turning around the sun. The Pervaz and the wing movements, especially the moves in the turns represents the bird crane’s flapping its wings. While one hand is turning to the sky the other hand down. “I take from Hakk and gave it to the people”. At the same time there is the rule of three steps, Alevi- Bektaşi- Kızılbaş semahs always have the Hakk-Muhammad-Ali as their three steps. In some areas such as the East Anatolia, it is four steps. It represents the four elements. It is also believed to represent the four temples and the four doors.


Makbule Dağdelen: There is nothing old nowadays, nothing. Every region has a different semah, for example it is different in Adiyaman, compared to Tokat or Elbistan. Semahs in Kantarma were very different, it is very slow. They were, because old Semahs do not exist.

Makbule Dağdelen / The Follower of Sinemilli Lodge

Everybody performed Semah, in the winter Dedes used to come to Kızılkandil. There was a community, the old community has disappeared. New generation, like yourselves are trying to relight this. It was not big crowds like it is nowadays. 2 or 3 people will stand. The Dede will ask specific people “so and so stand up” two or three people's names will be called out. Those called will stand up. As far as I know, I may have forgotten. They will perform 3, 5 or 7 Semahs. It was odd numbers. 3,5. 7 that was difficult. They do not perform the old Semahs now, they are doing something else. As long as they do not forget, it does not matter about how they perform it. As long as they do not forget… İbrahim Yaygır: Semah is the heritage of those who have given their hearts to Hakk.. Just as all the universe and planets are turning around the Sun and taking light from it, we humans are turning turning around Hakk, taking light from Hakk and becoming one from Hakk. Semah is performed with decency, rules, away from showing off, performed with love and spiritual concentration. There will not be semah without love.


İbrahim Yaygır / The Follower of Sinemilli Lodge

Now, in the old days, my Dede, when the Dedes, worshippers, everyone performed Semah, firstly the attendees will take a spiritual feeling. The Semah will only be performed once the spiritual feeling was reached. Believe me, when they performed the Semah they were like fans, they did not have control of themselves. They will turn in such a way that they will not stop until the target. And truly, only those who reach this spiritual height will know it, nobody else. This cannot be described, only those who sit and watch them also know the feeling.

They will be hypnotised. In fact, once someone in my village, fell into the fire during Semah. He has passed away there.


The “Ağa” Hasan Efendi, was calling him ‘martyr, Haydo martyr” in the song he was singing. Nobody knew, what was going on, after the semah had finished they realised he had passed away. During the invocation my Dede, will lose all control. Believe 10 people could not hold him down. He takes such a form that if you cut him with knife, throw him in fire, nothing will happen. Like a pan on the fire, it starts boiling, boiling, boiling until the end has come. Everyone shakes around him, 10 people could not hold him down. Once he has reached his target, he calms down and sits back. Today’s Semah has no soul. Also has taken a folkloric theme. But the old ones were not like this. As a result there is no soul, the soul is not formed. The way I see… Other older records were also compiled and with these examples, an education and implementation study lasting several months was carried out with the young people and other volunteers in Pir-Der.

During this time, discussions were held in association with the people living in Edinburgh, and their questions regarding Semah and other Alevi cultural values were shared and discussed. As a conclusion to the study, the Ağbaba Semah was performed at a Cem ceremony.


During the study, we realised that the Alevi-Kızılbaş community faces assimilation today not only regarding Semah, but also with language, faith and cultural traditions. It is not only Alevis, rather all communities sharing a heritage of humanity are unable to be protected from Western society’s socio-economic and socio-cultural assimilation.

This shows the importance Pir-Der and similar organisations have in this sense. There is a lot of work to be done and a lot of services to be carried out to protect, develop and transfer the mutual values and heritage of humanity such as language, culture, literature, tradition, folklore, faith, Cem and music. Amongst these values, Semah is a meaningful value that needs to be protected.


In conclusion, our semahs in every shape and form are beautiful, true, ours and holy. As the holy saints say “May it be for Hakk, and not for show!..” With love…


Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Centre and Cemevi (Pir-Der) Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Centre and Cemevi (Pir-Der) is formed in May 2014 in to promote benifit of Kurdish-Turkish Alevi Community in Edinburgh. The Community Centre is founded by Turkish and Kurdish Alevi who originally from Turkey. The Cultural Centre has approximatey 500 members who are from Alevi background from Turkey. Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Centre has become a registered charity in Scotland in November 2014 and operates as a charity to promote more effectively the benefit of this Community. Although we primarily promote the benefit of the Kurdish-Turkish Alevi Community living in Edinburgh-Scotland. Our services are open to any individual regardless of their background. Our services are open all Turkish and Kurdish speaking Community in Edinburgh-Scotland.

BRINGING SEMAH TO LIVE - Pir Sultan Cultural Centre and ... · Edinburgh Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural...

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