Our Postnişîn
Yıldırım Ekin was born in Konya, Türkiye and grew up in the Netherlands. Studied in technology and innovation, his heart was drawn early on to the spiritual tradition of Hz. Mevlânâ Rûmî.
He received his first lessons in faith and spirituality in the 1980s from scholar and writer Nevzat Akaltun. As a child, his mother introduced him to the Masnavî, sparking a lifelong love for remembrance and devotion.
Alongside his studies and career, he explored personal development, complementary medicine, and consciousness work. He came to see these as mirrors of the classical teachings on the inner dimensions of the human being (latâif and the stages of the nafs).
A life between East and West
In 1999, in the garden of the Galata Mevlevihane, he met his guide, Hafız Hüseyin Top Efendi. This encounter became a turning point: as Hz. Mevlânâ Rûmî found Shams, he found in Hüseyin Top Efendi a mirror and companion on the path.
In 2007, his master entrusted him with a hilâfetnâme (a confirmation of representation). He received this not as a title, but as a call to service.
Meeting his Teacher
Linked to Konya
In 2015, Makam Çelebî Farûk Hemdem Çelebi, 22nd-generation descendant of Hz. Mevlânâ Rûmî, conferred upon him the icâzet to represent the Mevlevi path in the Netherlands.
Since then, he has served as Postnişîn in the Netherlands, not as a bearer of a title but as a servant of this path and a bridge between Konya and the Netherlands, under the present leadership of Makam Çelebî Farûk Hemdem Çelebi.
His Intention
“Hz. Mevlânâ Rûmî’s ocean is infinite. I am well aware I am but a simple swimmer. My only desire is to walk in this caravan of light, to serve, and to help others taste the fragrance of this path.”
In his own words:
Everything he does in the dergâh, leading sohbet, guiding semâ, opening zikr, he attributes to the support of his teacher and the lineage of Konya.
Under his guidance, seekers and lovers gather monthly for sohbet, zikr, and semâ. The Masnavî is always at the heart.
He does not see himself as a distant authority, but as a companion on the journey: learning, practicing, and growing together.