An AP photographer uses a high vantage point to capture the choreography of the whirling dervishes

ISTANBUL (AP) — Francisco Seco has been The Associated Press’ chief photographer in Turkey since 2021. He started as a contractor in Portugal in 2010 and moved to Madrid five years later. He joined the AP as a staffer in Belgium in 2018 and is now based in Istanbul.

Here’s what he had to say about this extraordinary photo.

Why this photo?

Every year in December, there are ceremonies in Turkey to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Jelaleddin Rumi (Mevlana), a great 13th-century Sufi poet and founder of the Mevlevi “Whirling” Dervish order. The ceremony is a spiritual path where a number of dervishes spin as they perform a series of ritualistic movements accompanied by traditional Sufi music.

The white “whirling” robes, the tall hats, the “endless” spinning movements, the traditional flute and percussion music, make the scene a hypnotic canvas. As a photographer, this ceremony is visually very powerful.

How I made this photo

This is the second time I’ve shot a dervish ceremony but the first time in this venue in Istanbul. To be honest, I asked a local photographer friend about this place in particular. He gave me a couple of tips. He told me photos from the ground were good, but there was also access to an upper floor where we could take nice shots from a different angle. I started shooting on the ground floor, trying different options with a 50mm and a 24-70mm lenses. When I was sure I had some decent shots, I went to the upper floor and shot with a 16-35mm lens (which I don’t usually use because it’s too wide for me, but it’s always good to have a friend who gives you good advice). At the elevated position I also tried different options, including slow shutter speeds. I picked these camera settings:

Lens: 16mm

ISO: 2500

Aperture: 4

Shutter: 1/250

Why this photo works

I think it’s a mix of nice composition and the fact that the photo displays a spiritual ceremony itself. The white figures spinning in a circle with perfect rotation, framed in a dark chamber ... Also, I think the light from the lamp at the top contributes to the scene. The fact the photo was taken through a piece of fabric with the word “Mawlana” in Arabic, which means “our spiritual master,” is an extra.

For more extraordinary AP photography, click here.