Şeb-i Arus, the commemoration of Rumi in Konya

Şeb-i Arus, the "wedding night", commemorates the death of Mevlana Jalal al-Din Rumi, who died in Konya on 17 December 1273. Rumi himself gave this name to the day of his death. Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism organises the international commemoration ceremonies every year; in 2026, for the 753rd anniversary, they run from 7 to 17 December.

The sema of the whirling dervishes

At the heart of these days is the sema, the ceremony of the Mevlevi order, a Sufi order founded in Konya in 1273 and known for its whirling dances. The dervishes turn on their left foot, driving themselves round with the right, to a repertoire called ayin, played by a singer, a ney (reed flute) player, a kettledrummer and a cymbal player. UNESCO inscribed the Mevlevi sema ceremony on the list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2008.

In Konya the ceremonies take place in the Sema Hall of the Mevlana Cultural Centre. The other cultural and artistic events held in the various halls during these days are free. The detailed programme, with the time of each ceremony, will be published as a booklet on the official website.

Tickets

Tickets for the ceremonies have been sold on biletinial.com since Friday 9 October 2026. Konya's hotels fill up months ahead for Şeb-i Arus, so it is best to book your room at the same time as your seat.

Konya in December

December is cold on the Anatolian plateau: in Konya the average high is 6.3 °C and the average low −2.2 °C. Rumi's mausoleum, now the Mevlana Museum, can be visited the same day; the Konya page covers the city, its museums and how to get there. The hich hotel konya, with 13 rooms in houses around two centuries old, stands right next to the Mevlana Museum.