Edinburgh Mevlevi Tekke

We held a gathering this afternoon in Leeds for Rumi's 'Wedding Night'. David Bellak Dede led Mevlevi zikr, explaining its gentleness and straightforwardness... how compared with very strenuous zikrs in some traditions, the Mevlevi approach is natural and unforced. Dede wore a wonderful white felt dervish cap from Konya while sharing zikr, it really suited him! The venue was a beautiful retreat space built almost like a tree house at the edge of a wooded ridge overlooking a river, with wooden floors and walls and an oriental carpet...

  Shaikh David Bellak, the oldest surviving student and successor of the late Süleyman Hayatı Dede of Konya, will be sharing spiritual conversation and zikr for the Shebi Arusi of Hazreti Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi on Sunday 18th December from 11am-5pm in Leeds, England. David Dede is 81 years old and lives in Edinburgh, so we're very honoured for him to travel down to the North of England to share in the celebration of Rumi with us. If you'd like to attend, please reply to me here, or email our coordinator/host Steve Hart at leeds.mindfulness@gmail.com

    “I come to plant Mevlana’s message of universal love in this soil. The way of Mevlana, of Rumi, will grow in the West in its own way.” Suleyman Hayati Dede Suleyman Hayati Dede was the Mevlevi Shaikh of Konya until his passing in 1985. "Hayati", meaning "Divinely Alive", was his sufi name. He was born Suleyman Lorasulam around 1904 in Konya, Turkey, the old Roman city of Iconium which rose to prominence as the seat of the Seljuk Sultans of Rum a thousand years ago. The young Suleyman Lorasulam was fascinated by the Whirling Dervishes - the Mevlevi Sufi Order, created by followers of the great poet and mystic Jelaluddin Rumi to continue their teacher's spiritual influence after his death in 1273. Rumi was known by his students as Mevlana, meaning "Our Master", and so the sufi lineage stemming from him was called Mevlevi. Rumi was buried in Konya and his sufi descendants had their central training centre, or "tekke", beside his tomb. Suleym...

Fakir-ul Mevlevi Postneshin Shaikh David Bellak "Dervish Davut Dede"  

Shaikh David Bellak from the Mevlevi Sufi tradition of Jelaluddin Rumi has asked us to begin a new training group here in Manchester. We will get together regularly to practice sufi meditation - zikr'ullah, the recitation of the Divine Names in Arabic - and reflective conversation on Rumi's writings. We may also train in a simple form of the sacred whirling. If you are interested, please reply to this message by emailing Chris at willowtreeblues@gmail.com Shaikh David, now in his 80s and living in Edinburgh, was the closest Western student of the late Suleyman Hayati Loras - the last of the line of shaikhs of Rumi's tradition who trained in the Mevlevi sufi dergah in Konya before it was closed in 1925. Suleyman Loras brought Rumi's tradition to Europe and America in the 1970s and 80s. Shaikh David will offer guidance to our gathering in Manchester and support anyone coming along to understand and train in Rumi's way. Rumi's path is the path of Unity. Rooted in I...

David Dede shared this wonderful article recently on the power of cooking to bring refugees together for healing and celebration of life. https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/sep/20/i-miss-my-hometown-friend-and-mums-delicious-food-the-cookbook-made-by-refugees

Dearest Friends, This coming Wednesday is the Urs, or commemoration of the passing of Süleyman Hayati Dede into the presence of the Beloved in 1985. You are welcome to join me in the evening here in Edinburgh if you are near, for a simple remembrance of one who devoted his life to bringing Mevlana and the fragrance of the rose to so many. If we unable to come together, please keep him in your hearts and prayers . With thanks, Eyvallah Hu, Hakk Dost. RSVP D. Bellak (Derviş Davut Dede) Fukir-ul Mevlevi Edinburgh ("Dağ dağ kavuşmaz İnsan insan kavuşur) (a mountain cannot meet a mountain, (however) a human being can meet a another"