The Mawlawi order is one of the Sufi orders attributed to Jalal al-Din al-Rumi, known to his companions as “Mawlana”, and this method is famous for circular dancing, singing and the use of specific musical instruments.

The beliefs of Mawlawiyyin are similar to the beliefs of Sufis in general such as the belief in the unity of existence and the dedication of certain types of worship to other than Allah, such as asking for help from saints and asking for help and the healing and needs of their elders.

The Sufi whirling, or fatleh mawalawieh as it is called in Tripoli, relies on the dhikr a remembering of Allah. The dhikr involves recitation of devotional Islamic prayer. This dhikr is coupled with physical exertions of movement, specifically dancing and whirling in coordinated movements performed by a group of people, where the whirling takes place on one foot and in a fixed place for each performer, from which the movements of the body are absent, and it is limited to the movements of the hands in different positions, indicating communication with the Creator in what is called the ecstatic trances. The beauty and charm of the method is increased by the dancer’s wearing of a long, loose white dress, which turns into a movable, round (conical) hierarchical shape.

The presence of the Mawlawi order in Tripoli dates back to the 14th century. It continued through the construction of a takia known as the Takia of the Dervishes in the 17th century. The building, used by mawlawi order members to meet and perform rituals specific to mawlawi method, played a social role in hosting passers-by, providing them with shelter and the necessities of residence, including food, drink, washing, and ritual practice.

The Mawlawiyyah was widespread in Tripoli in the first half of the twentieth century and before, but it disappeared as a troupe and a method after the death of its last sheikhs in 1963. After the Abu Ali river flooded in 1955, the takia was damaged but the terrible devastation befell it during the civil war, as its halls were destroyed and the shells of the civil war blew up its dome. It was occupied by the displaced and antiquities dealers who destroyed and distorted it, until it reached a deplorable state. ,

In the mean time, individuals remained practicing their dance and whirling in historical madrasa in the old souks and the transmission continued to be from father to son. In 1998, one of them founded a new troupe. Tripoli Heritage Troupe for Chanting and Mawlawi whirling begun to perform in public in 2000. The revitalization of Mawlawi rituals has been ensured by contacts and relations with Turks. In 2012, the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) adopted the project of the takia rehabilitation. Today, the restoration is completed.

As for the troupe, it consists of 10 singers, 4 percussionists, 5 young dervishes and 2 six-year-olds. The initial training takes between six months and a year, and it takes place in addition to holding the dhikr in two madrasa, al-Nuriyya and al-Karimiya. Its members hold dhikr reciting the Holy Qur’an, chant supplications and chants, and perform traditional sufi dances. The troupe is generally accepted by all people because it spreads joy among everyone and always seeks to show the tolerant spirit of religion.