Cem (Jem) Ceremony,  Sahkulu Sultan Dergahi, Istanbul - March.2012

The Alevi community worships in special houses called Cem Evi. Cem is the worship that Alevis and Bektashis perform together with the congregation, subject to very detailed rules. Cem is not only a religious meeting, but also a place for spiritual renewal, bathing, and social and individual questioning. Cem means gathering in Arabic.

Alevis believe that the Cem has its roots in the original worship and teaching meeting of forty spiritual individuals Kirklar Majlisi led by Ali. During the "Cem ceremony" the Asik plays the Baglama (1) while singing spiritual songs, some of which are centuries old and well known amongst Alevis. Every song called a Nefes has spiritual meaning and aims to teach the participants important lessons. One such song goes thus: "Learn from your mistakes and be knowledgeable, Don't look for faults in others, Look at 73 different people, in the same way, God loves and created them all, so don't say anything against them."

The Semah (Samah) A family of ritual dances reminiscent of the Samah ceremony of the whirling dervishes characterized by turning and swirling, is an inseparable part of any Cem. Samah is performed by men and women together, to the accompaniment of the baglama. The dances symbolize (for example) the revolution of the planets around the Sun (by man and woman turning in circles), and the putting off of one's self and uniting with God. (1)Baglama or saz is a stringed instrument commonly used in Turkish folk music.

Cem ceremonies are usually held after the harvest period in Anatolia. This is because everyone pays off their debt before the ceremony. At the beginning of the ceremony, the "Dede" (grandfather) asks if everyone has paid their debts and asks those who are in debt to pay. This is the rule. A debtor member cannot attend the ceremony. Cem ceremonies are held on different days of the week in big cities. Thus, members can also attend ceremonies in other Cem houses.