Sema is a form of prayer. We respect its philosophy, its tradition and its execution.
Respect the sema and the participants
Before entering the sema hall, we perform ablution (The ritual purification, abdest, by washing hands, elbows, head, nose, mouth, face, feet)
Before entering and leaving the hall, we salute the place, the people in it and the tradition that brought them all together. How? We bow slightly with our right hands touching our hearts.
We do not talk in the sema hall unless absolutely necessary.
Definitely, do not use mobile phones in the sema hall. We keep them in silent mode, turn any reception off. We try to focus on the sema, rather than the social media.
We do not shoot photos or videos in the sema hall. Not everybody wants to be filmed while whirling. However, 1-2 times a week, we arrange special photo/video shooting times, asking first for agreement. These are announced in advance.
Please, do not eat or drink anything in the sema hall. Drinking water is the only exception.
The place in the semahane (sema hall), the upstairs area is for spiritual work and reserved for this purpose. It is a sacred space. Please do not create personal areas or keep personal belongings there.
Be a part of this event
Sema is the purpose of this gathering. While we are here, we plan our time and evaluate our behaviours accordingly.
Sema means continuous movement. We try to assist this movement by joining the sema, especially at late night and early morning hours.
There are times when the sema floor gets crowded. At such times please try not to disturb other semazens who are already whirling. If somebody started the sema earlier, respect that person’s sema and do whatever you can to ensure not to disturb that person. This is one of the most important general rules.