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whirling-dervishes-ceremony
The Sufis perform traditional whirling dervish dances combined with chants of Mars' many ancient names, blending cultural heritage with the Martian environment.
1 chapter across 1 book
Red Mars (1992)Kim Stanley Robinson
Chapter 86
John travels across Mars during a massive dust storm to visit Maya in Hellas, encountering various cultural groups including a hospitable Sufi community on a mesa. The Sufis share their pantheistic beliefs and mystical practices, including whirling dervish dances and chants invoking Mars under multiple ancient names. John experiences a profound spiritual and cultural synthesis, contemplating the possibility of creating a new religion that integrates Mars' unique identity with human heritage.