Segah Mevlevi Ayini - Itri - 17th Century Turkish Music

"Segah Mevlevi Ayini" is a form of music used in Mevlevi religious ceremonies. It is also known as a Mevlevi Ayin-i Şerifi and is composed by Buhurizade Mustafa Itri Efendi. The music is a form of devotional practice and is performed by a group of musicians and dancers known as semazens. The performance usually includes a series of movements, whirling, and singing. Buhurizade Mustafa Itri (1640 - 1712) was an Ottoman-Turkish musician, composer, singer and poet. He is regarded as the master of Turkish classical music and considered one of the greatest composers in the Turkish classical music tradition. He composed over 400 works, but only about 20 of these have survived to this day. He is said to have been a Mevlevi, and composed religious music for this order. He lived through the times of five Ottoman Sultans. In 2012, UNESCO declared 2012 the International Itri Year to commemorate the 300th anniversary of his death.