The Spring of Reflection: The Living One Who Sees

In the Name of the One

Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim
In the Name of the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

With hearts full of longing, we welcome you to the International Sufi Conference: The Spring of Reflection – The Living One Who Sees in Sarajevo. This gathering serves as a sanctuary for remembrance, beauty, and presence. It is an offering from heart to heart—a weaving of sacred music, wisdom teachings, diversity, beauty, and remembrance.

Here, we come together to learn and to be: to dwell in the garden of meanings, walk gently through the symbols and signs, and remember what it truly means to see and be seen.

About the Program

This four-day gathering in Sarajevo invites participants into an immersive experience of sacred remembrance, spiritual reflection, and shared beauty. The program offers:

• Wisdom teachings rooted in the Sufi path, shared by teachers and lovers of the Way

• Zikr (remembrance) circles with live music and traditional recitations in the historical tekkes of Sarajevo and tekke Kaćuni

• Musical evenings featuring devotional songs from diverse Sufi traditions

• Meetings with spiritual communities and practitioners, celebrating the unity of goodness, love, and divine presence

• Visits to sacred and historical places in Sarajevo and Travnik, including mosques, shrines, and quiet corners where the spirit lingers.

Venue: Hotel Europe, room Atrium (next to the reception, see the photo below)

Join Us from Wherever You Are – Live Stream Access

For those who cannot join us in Sarajevo, we invite you to participate through our live stream.

Selected sessions—including teachings and musical evenings—will be broadcast online, including:

Sessions with featured wisdom teachers every day on:

• April, 10, prof. dr. Cazim Hadzimejlic, The History of Sufism in Bosnia, 9.30-10.30
• April 10, Murshida Amat-un-Nur and Sheyk Sufi Ba, 10.30 - 13.30
• April 11, Sheyka Fawzia al-Rawi and Sheyk Muhammad Valsan, 9.30 - 12.30
• April 12, Bahar Can and Pir Zia Inayat Kha, 9.00 - 12.00

Musical evenings:

• Opening Concert with Armin Muzaferija and the Ensamble Mesudija, 19.00-21.00
• Albanian Sufi Music with Enris Qinami, 19.00-20.30
• Anatolian Sufi Music with Ali and Mehmet Ungan, 19.00-20.30
• Bosnian Sevdah Music with Lejla Causevic, 19.00-20.30

Whether you're across the world, you are part of this gathering. The light of this circle extends beyond borders—heart to heart, breath to breath.

Livestream access will be available upon your registration in Eventbrite. I'll share details and the full streaming schedule with all online participants.

Featured Wisdom Teachers

Our gathering brings together luminous teachers from diverse Sufi paths and sacred traditions—each a wellspring of knowledge, presence, and love. We are invited to drink from the living stream of wisdom through their words.

Teachers include:

• Pir Zia Inayat Khan
• Sheyka Fawzia al-Rawi
• Murshida Amat-un-Nur
• Bahar Can
• Sheyk Sufi Ba
• Sheyk Muhammad Valsan

Pri Zia Inayat Khan

Pir Zia Inayat Khan is the first son of Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan and Taj Inayat. Raised in the United States, he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Persian Literature from the University of London and his doctorate in Religion from Duke University.

Pir Zia’s father trained him in Sufism, and in 2000, he was confirmed as his spiritual successor. Since the passing of Pir Vilayat in 2004 (God keep him), Pir Zia has been serving as Pir-o-Murshid and President of the Inayatiyya, guiding Sufi communities worldwide. To create opportunities for focused spiritual study, Pir Zia established the Suluk Academy, which offers in-person courses in North America and Europe and a Suluk Global Online Course.

Pir Zia works from two central lodges: Fazal Manzil in Suresnes, France, and the Astana in Richmond, Virginia, U.S.A.

Pir Zia’s writings encompass “Immortality: A Traveler’s Guide”, “Dream Flowers: The Collected Works of Noor Inayat Khan”, which includes a critical commentary by Pir Zia Inayat Khan, “Mingled Waters: Sufism and the Mystical Unity of Religions”, and “Saracen Chivalry: Counsels on Valor, Generosity, and the Mystical Quest”. He acts as the editor for “Caravan of Souls: An Introduction to the Sufi Path of Hazrat Inayat Khan” and “A Pearl in Wine: Essays on the Life, Music, and Sufism of Hazrat Inayat Khan”.

Pir Zia and his wife, Sartaj, divide their time between Richmond, Virginia and Suresnes, France.

Fawzia Al-Rawi

Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi Al-Rifai was born in Baghdad and spent childhood in Iraq and Lebanon. Her grandmother introduced her to the culture and traditions of the Middle East, where belly dancing played a significant role as an expression of the feminine world.

Fawzia Al-Rawi holds a PhD in Islamic Studies. She completed her Arabic, Islamic, and ethnological studies at the universities of Vienna and Cairo. She then spent twelve years in Jerusalem, where she raised her children and worked at the Institute for the Promotion of Palestinian Agriculture and the University of Jerusalem while deepening both her theoretical and practical knowledge of Sufism under the guidance of Sidi Shaykh Muhammad Al-Rifai. Since 2001, she has lived in Vienna with her husband and their three children.

Fawzia Al-Rawi has been teaching Sufism for over 25 years. She conducts workshops in various countries, mainly focusing on women. Her teachings draw from an extensive wealth of experience rooted in a bicultural background, which enables her to create a bridge of understanding between diverse cultures, foster a space for their convergence, and contribute to peace.

She has published several books in Arabic, German, English, and French, including The Call of Allah, Divine Names, Midnight Tales, and Grandmother’s Secrets.

Murshida Amat-un-Nur

Murshida Amat-un-Nur is a Sufi Guide in the Inayatiyya Tariqah and is its Regional Representative for South Asia. She resides in Lahore, Pakistan, where she operates a Sufi centre and regularly conducts classes, seminars, and courses. A Pir Zia Inayat Khan student, Amat-un-Nur, has been on the Sufi path of learning and teaching for 22 years. In addition to a Master's in Comparative Philosophy: Islamic and Western Mysticism, she offers the wisdom of her intuitive spiritual journey, contributing to the rich tapestry of inspirational guidance she presents to the world.

She has also spoken at various international conferences and symposia. Amat-un-Nur has one publication, "The Door of Peace: Pearls of Sufi Wisdom." More information about her can be found at www.inayatiyyasouthasia.com.

Fatime Bahar Can

Fatime Bahar Can was born and raised in Istanbul, Türkiye. She completed her undergraduate degree in Chemistry at İnönü University. She later graduated as a Food Engineer from the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich). With extensive experience in quality assurance management in the food industry, she currently holds the Director of Food Law position at a Swiss food company.

Fatime Bahar Can was deeply immersed in Sufi culture from an early age, growing up in a Sufi family tradition. She attended the gatherings of many esteemed spiritual leaders, gaining profound insights from their teachings. She was also a devoted disciple and spiritual daughter of the late Şefik Can, a Mevlevi Murshid and one of the most renowned masters of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi's Masnavi in the last century in Türkiye. Under his guidance, she explored the spiritual depths of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi’s teachings and embraced the Mevlevi path as a way of life.

Following the passing of Şefik Can in 2005, she became a founding member of the Şefik Can International Mevlâna Education and Culture Foundation in Istanbul. She has participated in numerous national and international events and conferences through this foundation.

Ms Can consider her devotion to Sufism and Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi's understanding of universal unity, peace, and service to humanity as an essential part of her life. She has embraced these invaluable principles as commitments of her life and continues her work with this consciousness in the field of Sufism with dedication to this path.

Sufi Ba

787 Cheikh Sufi Ba is someone Hu died a long time ago in the Holy City of Touba Senegal at the hands of his master Serigne Salihu Mbacke, the last living son of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Khadim Rasool. He founded the Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba International Sufi School and The Darrah Awlia (School of the Friends of Allah), with teachings and practices from the Qadaria Shadalia Yaqubi Tariqat in Morocco. He has given over 1000 Shahada to seekers of Sufism in the West.

Cheikh Sufi Ba currently lives in Fez Morocco. He has Ithin (Permission) from his Masters to give the Wird and Bayat (Initiation) into the Murid Order of Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba, The Qadaria Shadalia Yaqubi Tariqat of Morocco and the Tijani Tariqat of Cheikh Ahmed Tijani Sharif r.a.

Mohammad Valsan

Born in Paris, Muhammad Valsan is the son of Michel Valsan (Sheikh Mustafa Abd al-Aziz), the first major interpreter of Ibn Arabi in the West.

As the director of the publication Science Sacrée, he carries on his father’s work and explores the universal expression of initiatory doctrines. Indeed, his teachings form part of the legacy of René Guénon (Sheikh Abd al-Wahid Yahya), who remains a significant figure in traditional studies. The principles of sacred texts are fundamental when Sheikh Muhammad Valsan examines applications in the arts and sciences, particularly in architecture.

Nowadays, he is engaged in interreligious dialogues and participates in many international conferences. As a beekeeper and breeder of purebred Arab horses, he also pays special attention to the symbolism of animals, especially as depicted in the Quran.

He is the author of two books, “La Burdu du Désert" and “Histoires des Prophètes." In addition, he has written numerous articles and worked on translations of Ibn Arabi, following in his father's footsteps.

Featured Sufi Musicians

Music is not a performance in this gathering of hearts—it is prayer, praise, and poetry. It expresses love for God, offered with sincerity, longing, and joy. Our featured musicians and artists carry living traditions of devotional sound and sacred expression, opening a space where the unseen becomes audible, and the soul begins to dance.

The Opening Concert will be held at the iconic Sarajevo City Hall of Vijećnica, a historic symbol of the city’s cultural soul. This majestic venue will host our first gathering in music and remembrance, marking the beginning of our shared journey. We will listen to Bosnian Illahi Music with Armin Muzaferija and Ensmble Mesudija.

The following three nights, we will listen to:

• Albanian Sufi Music with Enris Qinami
• Anatolian Sufi Music with Ali and Mehmet Ungan
• Bosnian Sevdah Music with Lejla Čaušević

The three last listed concerts will be held at the Bosniak Institute

Armin Muzaferija

Armin is a beloved Bosnian singer known for his soulful voice and heartfelt renditions of ilahi and nasheed—spiritual songs rooted in the Islamic tradition. Blending classical training with deep devotion, his music serves as an expression of love for God and longing for the Beloved.

Armin’s performances awaken the heart and invite listeners into a space of reflection, unity, and remembrance. He is widely cherished across the region and beyond for his ability to carry sacred meaning through sound.

Enris Qinami – Sufi Musician & Ethnomusicologist

Enris Qinami is a musician and ethnomusicologist from Albania whose work is rooted in the rich traditions of Sufi-inspired Albanian music. Accompanying himself on the saz, a traditional plucked lute, his repertoire blends sacred heritage with original compositions, creating a profoundly evocative musical experience.

He has performed at prestigious festivals around the world, including the Festival de Fès de la Culture Soufie (Morocco), Festival Soufi de Paris (France), Encontro de Culturas do Mundo in Bahia (Brazil), and the Sufi Soul Festival in Kall (Germany).

Enris sings mystical poetry in Albanian, drawing inspiration from the spiritual legacy of Sufism. His music weaves influences from Persian, Ottoman, and Arabic languages, expressing themes of divine love and sacred longing. These songs were once part of the traditional “aheng”—a word that evokes music and the joy it brings.

Rooted in the makam system—modal scales of the Near Eastern musical tradition—his melodies explore the inner stations of the soul, offering listeners a broad spectrum of emotional and spiritual colour.

Enris Qinami is the founder and artistic director of the Sufi Ensemble Dervish Spirit, based in Paris.

Ali and Mehmet Ungan are master musicians and torchbearers of the Turkish Sufi musical tradition. Born into a family devoted to the preservation of sacred music, the brothers have dedicated their lives to reviving and transmitting the spiritual heritage of Ottoman and Mevlevi music, both as performers and teachers.

Their artistry is rooted in the makam system, where each mode evokes a specific emotional and spiritual state. Through the sounds of the ney, tanbur, and oud, they guide listeners into realms of inner stillness, longing, and divine remembrance. With decades of experience performing across the world, Ali and Mehmet Ungan are not only musicians but guardians of a living tradition, offering each note as a gift of love to God.

Lejla Ćaušević is a Bosnian singer whose voice carries the soul of Sevdah—a traditional genre often called the “music of love and longing.” With deep emotional nuance and reverence for the heritage of her homeland, Lejla brings new life to this timeless art form.

Her singing evokes the subtle landscapes of the heart: sorrow and joy, yearning and belonging, memory and mystery. In her performances, Sevdah becomes more than music—it becomes a vessel of spiritual expression, a whisper of the eternal woven into the fabric of everyday life.

Through her artistry, Lejla invites listeners into a space where melancholy turns to beauty, and beauty becomes remembrance.

Places We Will Visit

As part of our shared journey, we will visit sacred and historical sites in Sarajevo, Travnik, and Kaćuni—cities woven with spiritual memory, where the air still carries the echoes of zikr, poetry, and divine longing.

The places include:

• The Franciscan Friary and the Church of Saint Anthony of Padua
• Hajji Sinan’s Tekke
• The Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos
• Naqshbandi Tekke Mejtaš
• Ashkenazi Synagogue
• Potok Tekke
• Messudija Tekke in Kaćuni

The Franciscan Friary and the Chruch of Saint Anthony of Padua

Located in the heart of Sarajevo, St. Anthony Church stands as one of the city's most significant Catholic landmarks, embodying centuries of Franciscan presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The church is dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, a revered saint known for his teachings and devotion to the poor.

The original church was built in the mid-19th century, but over time, it underwent several renovations and expansions, with its current Neo-Romanesque structure completed in 1914. Its architecture blends simple elegance with striking details, featuring a tall bell tower, arched windows, and an interior enriched with stained glass and religious frescoes.

St. Anthony Church has historically served as a spiritual refuge for Sarajevo’s Catholic community and a center of interfaith dialogue. Despite the challenges of war and shifting political landscapes, the church has remained a symbol of resilience, peace, and coexistence in Sarajevo’s multicultural fabric.

During our visit, we will be welcomed by fra Mile Babic, a representative from the Franciscan Order, who will share insights into the church’s history, its role in the community, and the Franciscan legacy in Sarajevo. This visit will o􀊏fer a unique glimpse into the Catholic heritage of the city and the enduring spiritual signi􀊐􀊒cance of St. Anthony Church.

Hadži Sinan Tekke

It has preserved almost the same authentic appearance since the year 1640. It is considered the last significant monument of Ottoman architecture in Sarajevo.

The first planned location for its construction was on the left bank of the Miljacka River in Bistrik. Hadži Sinan purchased land there, but one night, he had a dream in which he received a message that the tekke must be built in the northern part of the city, on the right bank of the Miljacka.

He found land on Pirin Hill, in a neighbourhood known as Vrbanjuša, and thus acquired a plot in Kadi Bali Efendi Mahala. Hadži Sinan passed away before the tekke’s construction was completed.

Mustafa Pasha Silahtar funded the final stages of construction from his own resources. The tekke was completed in the same year that Hadži Sinan passed away.

Since 2005, the Hadži Sinan Tekke, the Sarač Alija Mosque, and the cemetery beside it have been designated a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos

The next stop on our journey is the Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos, the largest Serbian Orthodox church in Sarajevo and one of the largest in the Balkans. Built at the request of the Orthodox parish of Sarajevo, construction took place between

1863 and 1868. The church is a striking example of cross-shaped basilica architecture, featuring five domes, with the central dome significantly larger than the surrounding four.

The small gilded baroque-style belfry at the entrance enhances the church’s grandeur. The inside walls are adorned with painted ornaments, with the lower sections designed to imitate marble construction. The arches and vaults are beautifully decorated with intricate patterns, creating a sense of harmony and spirituality. In 1898, the Orthodox Metropolitan Palace was built near the cathedral, further emphasising the significance of this religious complex.

The lead architect of this masterpiece was Andreja Damjanov, a renowned builder from the Damjanovi-Renzovski family, a lineage of skilled masons, painters, carpenters, and stonecutters from the village of Papradište near Veles. During our visit, we will be welcomed by a representative of the Orthodox Church, who will share insights into the spiritual, historical, and architectural importance of the cathedral and the Orthodox Christian community in Sarajevo.

The next stop on our journey is the Cathedral Church of the Nativity of the Theotokos, the largest Serbian Orthodox church in Sarajevo and one of the largest in the Balkans. Construction took place between 1863 and 1868 at the request of the Orthodox parish of Sarajevo. The church is a striking example of cross-shaped basilica architecture, featuring five domes, with the central dome significantly more significant than the surrounding four.

The small gilded baroque-style belfry at the entrance enhances the church’s grandeur. The inside walls are adorned with painted ornaments, with the lower sections designed to imitate marble construction. The arches and vaults are beautifully decorated with intricate patterns, creating a sense of harmony and spirituality. In 1898, the Orthodox Metropolitan Palace was built near the cathedral, further emphasising the significance of this religious complex.

The lead architect of this masterpiece was Andreja Damjanov, a renowned builder from the Damjanovi-Renzovski family, a lineage of skilled masons, painters, carpenters, and stonecutters from the village of Papradište near Veles. During our visit, we will be welcomed by a representative of the Orthodox Church, who will share insights into the spiritual, historical, and architectural importance of the cathedral and the Orthodox Christian community in Sarajevo.

Mejtaš Tekke

Before the tekke was founded in the Sarajevo neighbourhood of Mejtaš, the same building housed a maktab (religious school) used by Hafiz Halid ef. Hadžimulić. In 1998, Sheikh Halil ef. Brzina established the tekke in that space, designating August 18 as its founding day. In the courtyard of the tekke stands one of Sarajevo’s oldest mosques, the Sarač Ismail Mosque.

Today, Mejtaš Tekke is one of the most well-known tekkes in Sarajevo. It serves as the city's largest gathering place for dervishes and is also known as a meeting space for youth and students. It is the central tekke for medžlisi-halka circles in Bar, Blagaj, Brčko, Gračanica, Kakanj, Stolac, Tuzla, Zagreb, and Zenica.

The tekke has also gained recognition as a gathering place for prominent figures from the political sphere, particularly members of the SDA party, including Bakir Izetbegović, Bisera Turković, Nedžad Branković, Denis Zvizdić, and Sulejman Tihić.

In 2007, Mejtaš Tekke was visited by the American actor Richard Gere.

Sarajevo Ashkenazi Synagogue

The Sarajevo Synagogue, located on the south bank of the Miljacka River, is the largest and only active synagogue in Sarajevo today. Built in 1902, it is a testament to Sarajevo's Jewish community's long and rich history, which has coexisted peacefully with its Muslim and Christian neighbours for centuries.

Jewish presence in Sarajevo dates back to the 16th century, when Sephardic Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition found refuge in the Ottoman Empire. In 1581, with the support of Turkish Beylerbey Sijamush Pasha, the first Sephardic synagogue was established in Velika Avlija to support the city’s poorer Jewish residents. This synagogue was rebuilt multiple times after being destroyed by fires in 1679 and 1778, and today, it serves as the Jewish Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During the Austro-Hungarian period, Ashkenazi Jews also arrived in Sarajevo, building their own Ashkenazi Synagogue in 1902, designed by the renowned architect Karel Pařík. Meanwhile, the Sephardic community constructed the Il Kal Grande Synagogue in 1932, which was once one of the largest and most ornate synagogues in the Balkans before it was devastated by the Nazis in 1941 during World War II. The Ashkenazi Synagogue, however, survived the destruction.

The Jewish community of Bosnia and Herzegovina has faced significant challenges, from the Holocaust in the 1940s to the Bosnian War in the 1990s, which left fewer than 5,700 Jews in the former Yugoslavia. Despite these hardships, Sarajevo’s Jewish heritage remains a fundamental part of the city’s multicultural identity.

The Sarajevo Synagogue was built in the Moorish Revival style, a popular architectural choice for synagogues during the Austro-Hungarian period. Its enormous arches, richly painted decorations, and high ornate ceiling are among its most striking features, with a ten-pointed star symbolising Jewish identity. Today, services are held in the women’s galleries on the upper floor, while the stone menorah at the entrance commemorates 400 years of Jewish presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During our visit, we will be welcomed by a Jewish community member who will share insights into Sarajevo's Jewish population's history, resilience, and cultural contributions. This visit will provide a unique opportunity to connect with Sarajevo’s Jewish heritage and witness how the city’s Jewish community has preserved its traditions and identity through centuries of coexistence, hardship, and renewal.

Tekke Potok

This Naqshbandi tekke is located on Potok Street—“potok” meaning stream or brook in Bosnian, a name that evokes the quiet flow of water and the symbolism of spiritual movement.

The tekke was originally built as a mosque.

What many may not know is that the vekil (deputy sheikh) of the tekke was the late Professor Seid Strik, son of Hadži Mustafa Strik, who served as vekil of the Isa-bey Mevlevi Tekke in Bembaša.

The late Seid Strik was one of the most significant figures of the Sufi path in Sarajevo—a deeply respected authority on the city’s spiritual heritage and one of the foremost connoisseurs of Sufi culture and tradition in Bosnia and Herzegovina.