“Evtâd-ı Erbaa” Performed at Atatürk Cultural Center to a Full House

On January 15, 2023, the Istanbul Sufi Ceremonies Ensemble presented Evtâd-ı Erbaa at the Atatürk Cultural Center in Taksim, Istanbul. Hosted in the grand Türk Telekom Opera Hall, the event drew an audience of 2,040 people, with tickets selling out a full week in advance. The performance honored the “Four Spiritual Pillars” of Anatolia—Mavlana Jalaluddin Rumi, Haj Bektash Veli, Haj Bayram Veli, and Sheikh Shaban Veli—bringing together Sema, Semah, and Devrân in a single immersive and symbolic program. The ceremony opened with a heartfelt narration and introduction by Sheikh M. Fatih Çıtlak. It began with quud zikr (sitting invocation) followed by the ilahi “Didemiz giryan...” in the Ushaq maqam. The ritual included remembrances from multiple Sufi traditions, including the Khalvati, Mevlevi, Bektashi, Bayrami, and Shabani paths. The Bayrami-style Devrân-ı Şerîf commenced with dervishes encircling the hall, as Mevlevi semazens joined the performance with graceful rotation. The zakiran (reciters) then yielded the floor to the semah dancers under the direction of Hüseyin Cem Durak, who led a sequence of traditional Bektashi semahs: Hacı Bektash Semahı, Alacam Semahı, and Ashk Ali Semahı. As the ceremony reached its crescendo with the Tavaf Tevhîdi, the spiritual energy in the hall deepened. The ritual concluded with gülbank prayers offered by Sheikh M. Fatih Çıtlak and Hüseyin Cem Durak. The artistic direction was led jointly by Yüce Gümüş and Hüseyin Cem Durak, with over one hundred artists participating. At the close of the evening, Director General of Fine Arts Ömer Faruk Belviranlı presented flowers to Sheikh M. Fatih Çıtlak, and Deputy Director General Enver Merallı honored Yüce Gümüş with a bouquet. With its powerful message of unity, brotherhood, and spiritual harmony, Evtâd-ı Erbaa was met with a prolonged standing ovation.