Mevlana Week

Mevlana Week is the official commemorative period marking the anniversary of the death of Mevlana Celâleddîn-i Rûmî (1207–1273). Since Mevlana referred to his day of death as “Şeb-i Arûs,” meaning “Night of Union with the Divine” or “Wedding Night,” these events are also known as “Şeb-i Arûs Ceremonies,” “Ceremonies Commemorating Hazreti Mevlana,” and “International Anniversary Ceremonies of Union.”

^{Mevlana Celâleddîn-i Rûmî} (Encyclopedia of Islam)

Mevlana passed away on 5 Jumada II 672 (17 December 1273). For many years in Türkiye, the period between 10 and 17 December was recognized as Mevlana Week; some institutions adopted the week of 2 to 9 December as a symbolic commemorative period. Today, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism organizes the ceremonies over eleven days, from 7 to 17 December. In 2025, the ceremonies will mark the 752nd anniversary of Mevlana’s union with the Divine.

The events are jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (General Directorate of Fine Arts) and the Konya Metropolitan Municipality, with support from the Konya Provincial Governorship.

The theme of the 2025 program is the hour of peace. The program will begin on Saturday, 6 December 2025, in Karaman, with the “Mader-i Mevlana” event held at the grave of Mevlana’s mother, Mümine Hatun, at the Aktekke Camii; the main ceremonies will take place over eleven days in Konya from 7 to 17 December 2025.

• Daily sema performances at the Mevlana Culture Center,
• Mesnevî discussions, conferences, panels, and lectures,
• Exhibitions, workshops, and concerts,
• Storytelling sessions of Mesnevî tales for children,
• Dua and peace walks at the Shrine of Şems-i Tebrizî,
• Ney performances in memory of the late Niyazi Sayın,
• “Exhibition of Annotated Mesnevî Manuscripts” at the Istanbul Rami Library (70 annotated Mesnevî manuscripts – the first and most comprehensive exhibition of its kind).

The sema performance is the central element of Mevlevi culture and an indispensable part of the ceremonies. In 2008, it was inscribed by Türkiye on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. During the ceremonies, the sema is performed in accordance with traditional customs and rites.

The events are promoted to millions of people worldwide through special promotional films and the GoTürkiye platform, coordinated by the Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA). Each year, large numbers of visitors come to Konya from all corners of the globe.

Mevlana Week is a broad cultural and artistic initiative encompassing sema ceremonies, academic events, exhibitions, and programs for children. These ceremonies transform Konya each December into an international center of spiritual gathering and peace, representing the most extensive and official contemporary expression of Mevlana’s universal call to humanity, first articulated in the 13th century.