Rituals & Ceremonies
Don’t judge the way other people connect to God; to each his own way and his own prayer. God does not take us at our word. He looks deep into our hearts. It is not the ceremonies or rituals that make a difference, but whether our hearts are sufficiently pure or not.
– Shams Al Tabriz –
The Zar Ceremony is a dance ritual popular in Egypt, and is attributed to have its origins in Africa. The ritual spread beyond the Horn of Africa in the 18th or 19th centuries due to the slave trade and became popular in Egypt as a form of exorcism. Today, zar is most popular in southern Egypt. The word zār means “to visit” or “visitation”. With jinn , which refers to dark spirit mentioned many times in the Qu’ran, it is no surprise that zar rituals became popular throughout the Middle East, but particularly in Egypt. When the dark spirit possesses people, they are believed to remain with the hosts forever, unless a clearing is performed. The specific music played at the zar ritual is believed to please and call forth the jinn.
Practice Sufi Dance
In our spiritual journey we try to show you the different Egyptian ways to connect with God. One of the ways we can experience and practice in our spiritual journey is the Sufi Zikr and the Whirling Dervishes.
Sufi Dance
This dance is also a spiritual practice often referred to as “Whirling Dervishes”. The dancer turns like the earth turns around the sun, he is then in trans with the universe following the movement of the planets. The dancer spins to the left side, the side of the heart. To know the mysteries and secrets of this dance, you would have to experience it yourself, like a journey that cannot be started without a beginning…
Sufi Zikr
Zikr means reminding oneself of God.
It’s a ritual Prayer practiced by Muslim mystics for the purpose of glorifying God and achieving spiritual perfection. The Zikr is essentially a “remembering” of God by the frequently repeating his names. Originally a simple recitation of the Holy book and various religious writings among mystics.
Join us on our next journey to discover the great mysteries of the ancient Egyptian land.