Istanbul: Sufism
Photos & Words: Salina Christmas

Rumi came from an area that is now a part of modern Afghanistan. The Mongol invasion forced the family to relocate to Anatolia.

His surname indicates that Rumi was a "Roman" — his birthplace of Khorasan was once under the Byzantine rule.

The performance pictured is by a local Istanbul fraternity called the Istanbul Galata Mevlevi Lodge. It's quite tourist-friendly.

The real thing is a tad more religious, and not really accessible to outsiders.