Viewing this as merely a period piece teasing out the political, religious and social themes of the time, would have be enough for a fully interesting and informative series.
Themes Explored:
The relationship between the religious authorities (Qadis) and the civil authorities (Mayor)., and the blurring of same.s
The obvious jealously, if not outright enmity of the Qadis (establishment religious authorities) towards the true spiritual leaders of the community (Sufi Shaikhs)
The various personalities of the murids (followers) of the Shaikh and how mired down in those characteristics they can become.
The social customs of the time: the governed to the government; the craftsman towards each other and the Shaikh. Male and Female interaction and manners.
(This one has a significant error in Season 2. Season one showed marriage eligible females (Shaikh's daughter, for example), covering their faces and averting their eyes in the presence of a non-relative adult male. For some strange reason, this stopped in Season 2....and it was both glaring and jarring to anyone familiar with this form of personal modesty. If it had not been done in Season 1, it could have been accepted as necessary to tell the story and understand the characters. Once done, it should have continued in Season 2. This may seem like nit-picking, but central to all the various themes and stories were "manners" and protocol. The breach was confusing.
All that said , even given the sometimes hideous translations in the subtitles, the content, the message, the teachings are so profound and so subtle as to be overwhelming. The overall message, is in fact, Transcendent, so simple in its admonishments and encouragements, yet so very difficult to actually carry out.
The life of the Dervish is a struggle against the self. This series is a wonderful attempt to describe that life, and teaches a bit of history and culture along the way.
Very well done!
Themes Explored:
The relationship between the religious authorities (Qadis) and the civil authorities (Mayor)., and the blurring of same.s
The obvious jealously, if not outright enmity of the Qadis (establishment religious authorities) towards the true spiritual leaders of the community (Sufi Shaikhs)
The various personalities of the murids (followers) of the Shaikh and how mired down in those characteristics they can become.
The social customs of the time: the governed to the government; the craftsman towards each other and the Shaikh. Male and Female interaction and manners.
(This one has a significant error in Season 2. Season one showed marriage eligible females (Shaikh's daughter, for example), covering their faces and averting their eyes in the presence of a non-relative adult male. For some strange reason, this stopped in Season 2....and it was both glaring and jarring to anyone familiar with this form of personal modesty. If it had not been done in Season 1, it could have been accepted as necessary to tell the story and understand the characters. Once done, it should have continued in Season 2. This may seem like nit-picking, but central to all the various themes and stories were "manners" and protocol. The breach was confusing.
All that said , even given the sometimes hideous translations in the subtitles, the content, the message, the teachings are so profound and so subtle as to be overwhelming. The overall message, is in fact, Transcendent, so simple in its admonishments and encouragements, yet so very difficult to actually carry out.
The life of the Dervish is a struggle against the self. This series is a wonderful attempt to describe that life, and teaches a bit of history and culture along the way.
Very well done!