"A completely wonderful initiative"
Joris Luyendijk – best-selling Dutch author and Middle Eastern expert

http://SufiMystic.org

From the organisation which brought you Monk for a Month and Muslim for a Month, comes SUFI MYSTIC, a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the heart of Anatolian (Turkish) mysticism.

A10-day journey launching on 22 January 2012 and costing just €450* (usual price €745), SUFI MYSTIC promises to challenge the mind as well as the soul, offering a chance to explore the 'real' spiritual Turkey lying underneath the tourist radar.

Guests on this world-first programme will live among local Sufi Muslims, staying at a historic 400-year-old Sufi lodge, as well as having an unrivaled opportunity to learn about this ancient path from noted masters.

Joining church as well as synagogue services, SUFI MYSTIC travellers will explore the joint spiritual and mystic heritage between all the great religions. In the historic city of Konya they will have a chance to 'whirl with the dervishes' and visit the tomb of the world-famous poet Rumi's – a truly humbling experience.

With plenty of time for personal reflection and development, SUFI MYSTIC promises to be an experience few will forget.

Dates

SUFI MYSTIC is running its first programme on 22 January, for 10 days, special price €450.

Background

SUFI MYSTIC combines lectures, cultural exchange and tourism in the beautiful heart of Istanbul.

The director of the programme, Ahmet Muharrem Atliğ, is a Turkish imam and theologian who lived and worked in London for five years.

What is Sufism

Sufism, or Tasawwuf as it is known in the Muslim world, is Islamic mysticism.

Although Sufis are relatively few in number, they have shaped Islamic thought and history. Through the centuries Sufis contributed hugely to Islamic literature: the influence of writers such as Rumi, Omar Khayyám and Al-Ghazali's extended beyond Muslim lands to be quoted by Western philosophers, writers and theologians.

What the media say

• Muslim for a Month: Now anyone can experience Sufi life – CNNGo
Be Muslim for a month in Istanbul: pray five times a day and fast – The Guardian
Deity Tourism – Can you try religion for a month? – BBC News

World Weavers

SUFI MYSTIC is the latest cultural-immersion programme from World Weavers, a social enterprise active in both Europe and Asia.

Created by Irish-Australian Ben Bowler, World Weavers' motto is One World One Family. It is known throughout Asia for its renowned 'Monk for a Month' temple-stay, a Buddhist immersion programme in Thailand that has been welcoming men and women to temple life since 2008.

"The purpose of the Sufi Mystic programme is to offer people an actual authentic experience of Sufi mysticism as it is practised by devotees across Anatolia," says Bowler.

"It isn’t about religious conversion but rather aiming to foster greater understanding between faiths and building those human bridges of friendship and sympathetic affection which can lead us to peace."

Interview opportunities

Ben Bowler, director of World Weavers
Ahmet Muharrem Atliğ, imam and spiritual director

Media visits

There are opportunities for bona-fide media, with guaranteed commissions, to attend the next (or future), SUFI MYSTIC programmes.

Please contact Nick Ryan, communications advisor, to request further details.

Further resources

High resolution photos and video are available via Ben Bowler: [email protected].

You can watch the pioneering 'Muslim for a Month' participants discuss their experiences on Blood Foundation's YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrEvj2C60m0)

Web links

SUFI MYSTIC
http://SufiMystic.org

World Weavers
http://worldweavers.com

Contacts:

World Weavers: Ben Bowler (director)
Tel (Thailand) +66 898524720
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.muslimforamonth.com

Turkish spiritual director: Ahmet Muharrem Atliğ
Phone: +90 (216) 3399025
Fax: +90 (216) 3399149
Email: [email protected]

Communications Advisor: Nick Ryan
Tel (UK): +44 7866 470060
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.nickryan.net

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