Sufi Ceremony

A dervish has a skewer pushed through the middle of his throat, whilst in trance, during a remembrance (dhikr) ceremony in Sanandaj (or Senna), capital of the Kurdistan province of Iran, 17th July 1997. He is attended by the Sheikh (left) who oversees the ceremony, and is surrounded by a circle of dervishes chanting the name of God. Kasnazani dervishes believe that body piercing with knives and skewers, drinking poison, eating glass or stone, and running electric currents through the body are all signs of being blessed by God. Kasnazanis are adherents of one of the main two branches of Qadiriyyah, which is one of the oldest Sufi tariqahs. (Photo by Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images)
A dervish has a skewer pushed through the middle of his throat, whilst in trance, during a remembrance (dhikr) ceremony in Sanandaj (or Senna), capital of the Kurdistan province of Iran, 17th July 1997. He is attended by the Sheikh (left) who oversees the ceremony, and is surrounded by a circle of dervishes chanting the name of God. Kasnazani dervishes believe that body piercing with knives and skewers, drinking poison, eating glass or stone, and running electric currents through the body are all signs of being blessed by God. Kasnazanis are adherents of one of the main two branches of Qadiriyyah, which is one of the oldest Sufi tariqahs. (Photo by Kaveh Kazemi/Getty Images)
Sufi Ceremony
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Credit:
Kaveh Kazemi / Contributor
Editorial #:
82579536
Collection:
Hulton Archive
Date created:
July 17, 1997
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Release info:
Not released. More information
Source:
Hulton Archive
Object name:
Huty1635215
Max file size:
2610 x 1799 px (8.70 x 6.00 in) - 300 dpi - 1 MB