According to the Konya Culture and Tourism Directorate, preparations are in full swing for this year's activities leading up to Şeb-i Arus, which is held annually on Dec. 17. Last year, 20 sema services (including whirling dervishes) were organized for 17 days and this year a total of 15 such services are planned to take place between Dec. 7 and 17. Already strong domestic and international interest has been shown in the activities, with nearly 25,000 reservations made to date.
An official from the directorate told the Anatolia news agency that five of the 15 sema ceremonies to be held had already been sold out. “All of the tickets have been reserved for the night of Şeb-i Arus [Dec. 17] as well as for the day and night performances on Dec. 12, the daytime performance of Dec. 13 and the daytime performance of Dec. 16. A large number of tickets for the other dates and times have also been sold,” the official said.
The Mevlana Cultural Center, where the ceremonies are to be held, has a 2,600-person capacity, meaning a total 39,000 tickets were available. Of these, 25,000 have already been reserved. The Dec. 17 program costs TL 50, while admission for the others is TL 15 per person. Children under six are not allowed into the sessions, which begin at 8 p.m. for night showings and 2 p.m. for the daytime slots.
Each year the events to mark Rumi's passing are a major boost to the area's tourism. Konya Rixos Hotel front desk manager Selçuk Kazan says this year reservations have increased significantly ahead of the occasion and that they expect occupancy rates of 80 to 90 percent during the “Rumi season.”
Last year the Şeb-i Arus festivities coincided with the Eid al-Adha holiday, decreasing attendance, but this year hotels are expecting a better tourist season, Konya Central Bera Hotel front desk manager Ahmet Büyükyıldız explained.
