Three images are especially iconic when it comes to Turkey: the Blue Mosque of Istanbul, the library at Ephesus, and the whirling dervishes of Konya. But despite all the time I’ve spent in this country, until I visited the dervishes’ annual festival last December, I didn’t truly know what they were all about. “Konya offers a unique opportunity to learn about the Sufi philosophy and the significance of the dance in the place where it all originated,” my Turkish friend
by José Balido
Just a little more than eight weeks to go till pre-Lenten Carnaval time, and if you’re thinking of a warm getaway to the biggest par-tay in the Latin world, Rio de Janeiro’s is always a rip-roaring crowd-pleaser — but it’s also massively mobbed, pretty pricey, and these days, to say the least, just a wee bit overcommercialized. For a taste of this annual revelry that’s both more affordable and closer to its folkloric roots (so much so that it’s on UNESCO’s World Heritage list), c
This adventurous Kenya cultural expedition involves staying awake late at night in an isolated place in the darkness. Most preferably in a cold environment and far away from fire. Do not even try to eat or drink anything hot because it is believed that the wizards have the ability to sense your presence whenever you take anything hot. During the day, wizards are normal people who socialize and mix up very well with ordinary people. When the night comes, they turn out to be completely different a
Formation and meaning of traditional festivals
Traditional festivals constitute a form of cultural activities, a spiritual product which the people have created and developed during the course of history. From generation to generation, the Vietnamese people preserve the fine tradition of Re-remembering the source while drinking water. Festivals are events which represent this tradition of the community as well as honour the holy figures named as Gods the real persons in national history or legend
