Dervish House

Sinuous current out of the mountain, Incessant spring contortions Awaken Arab roses Uncalled for in this place. The sanctuary is inhabited By white sound from the river, Enclosed by gentle walls of shadow and light, Erasing vanities and virtues. This place floats beyond unlooked for places. Unsought, the roses waver and fluoresce In their unseasonal glory, floating up From the river's flow, Imposing their beauty on your vision, Smoothing consciousness despite itself. Now there is only a postcard to reinscribe memory. But that is enough To bring you back into the sanctuary, With the spring river's pulsations, To the dervishes who spin there … … For centuries, stretching back And forward into dreaming futures, Expressing your thought beyond preoccupations And distractions … … Beyond you, But comes to you Here in this place, Quiet but for the river's insistent current. 30 April 2019 Tekija Blagaj Bosnia Herzegovina The Dervish House (Figure 1) is in the town of Blagaj, Bosnia Herzegovina, near the Croatian border. The region is layered with a diverse cultural history, beginning with the indigenous Illyran people, through Roman, Ottoman, and Islamic occupation. The tekija (lodge), as it is called, was built on the order of the Ottoman Sultan in 1520. Centuries of political turmoil followed. Yugoslavia was founded in 1918, but following Tito's death in 1980, inter-ethnic conflict prevailed. In 1992, Bosnia Herzegovina was recognized as an independent country, soon followed by a bloody, genocidal war between Serbs, Croats, and Bosnian Muslims, lasting until 1995. The tekija is still a gathering place for dervishes practicing Zikr praise-chanting, serene twirling as a means of reflection and meditation. Islam has helped to create an uneasy solidarity in Bosnia despite ethnic diversity. The tekija is therefore more than a zone for whirling dervishes but also a Muslim place of prayer and visitations to sacred places. It is considered a national monument in Bosnia and was designated as a UNESCO cultural heritage site. The tekija represent an elaborate mix of architectural styles, incorporating Ottoman and Mediterranean elements. Inside is a small mosque, prayer hall and the tombs of two local saints, regularly visited by pilgrims seeking these saints' baraka (charisma). Its deep cultural and historical stratigraphy makes the tekija echo with poetic resonance. In the prayer hall, you can hear the soothing white noise of the Buna River just outside. The tekija is often described as a magical place and remains an alluring destination for travelers. The tekija is a symbol of the region's complicated cultural past and prevails as a reference point for extant cultural practices. When I visited it, its aesthetics were not only arresting, but its accoutrements were familiar to me from Turkey and Morocco. Its formidable history makes it an impressive embodiment of Muslim spirituality and practice. Here, multicultural orientations likewise remain alive and compelling; this poem evokes and reimagines these devotional themes and perspectives.