I bought this small quilt in a market in Cairo, Egypt which features a whirling Mawlawi dervish (dervish meaning “member of the order” and Mawlawi being the order). For members of the Mawlawi Order of Sufism, twirling is not only a form of dance but also a way in which they worship. These ritual dances are part of a Muslim ceremony called the dhikr which is meant to glorify God and seek spiritual perfection. These dances could be considered as a form of meditation as when the rhythm accelerates they twirl faster and faster which induces a trance like state. They do this in an attempt to lose their personal identities and attain oneness with the Almighty. This practice dates back to the 13th century with the foundation of the Mawlawi Order by Jalal Al-Din Muhammad Rumi in Konya, Anatolia.

https://www.pbs.org/video/religion-and-ethics-newsweekly-sufi-whirling-dervishes/