A Bektash Dervish Sheikh
A Bektash Dervish Sheikh (Baba) wearing the traditional twelve-pointed wheel (the twelve imans). Founder of the Bektashi order was Hajji Bektash Wali (1209 - 1271) - is today a renowned figure in the history and culture of both Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey. Dervish or Darvesh in Persian usually refers to a person who is a aseeker of the truth i.e. auniversal truth'. Within the Islamic tradition such people are often known as Sufis, Sufi, apeople of the way or mystics and they come from every strata of society here monetary considerations are inapplicable since the situation is that of a deep personal inner spiritual longing. There are in existence a number Sufi Orders many of which bear the name of a great saint and within these orders various practices have continued over the centuries in order to assist generations of aseekers whose desire is to be brought to areality itself. It is said that the number of ways to reality/truth exceeds the number of grains of sand on the beach. It may be noted that this infinite number of ways to truth can even start at a point beyond religion, ultimately athe truth is an universal quality
