- Sille
=The name Sille=
The name Sille [pronounced Si-le, not to be confused with silly] is a girls name and a boys, mainly used in Scandinavia. The name originates from Cecilie, a variant of Cecilia. But also from Silvester. Cecilia is a female version of the Roman name Caecilius. The name may root in a Latin word meaning blind
Turkish village
Sille is a small Turkish village, near the town of
Konya .Sille (it is pronounced like 'silly') was one of the few villages where the
Cappadocian Greek language was spoken until 1922. It was inhabited byGreeks who had been living there in peaceful coexistence with the nearby Turks of Konya, for over 800 years.The reason for this peaceful coexistence was
Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi , who was the witness of a miracle that happened at the nearby Orthodox Christian monastery ofSaint Chariton . In the Turkish language the monastery is now called "AkMonastir" and is translated as, "White Monastery". Jalal al-Din Rumi constructed a small mosque inside the Saint Chariton monastery; he asked the Turks not to hurt the Greeks of the village, and assigned to the Greek villagers the task of cleaning his own tomb. The Turks respected Mevlana's commandment. Several firmans from theSultan were send to Konya Turks, which reminded to them of their promise not to hurt the Sille villagers. The coexistence of Sille Greeks with the nearby Turks remained very peaceful, that is why the villagers managed to preserve for over eight centuries both their native Greek language and their Orthodox Christian religion.In the population exchanges between Greece and Turkey (1923), Turkey and Greece decided to exchange population based on religion. After 1924, all Greek population left the village.
The monastery where the miracle took place, is noe mostly demolished ans since it is located in a military camp entrance is not allowed.
ille dances
The (Greek) Sille dances are ceremonial, most of them are danced by two persons facing each other. There is a dance, danced by women only, which reminds the nineteenth or twentieth century BC
Phaistos cup that professorDoro Levi found at the cave ofEileithyia , which presents the figures of two women dancing around a snake Goddess or priestess (Kerenyi Eleusis, p. xix-xx). Another dance is danced by men only, facing each other and carrying short swords. Unfortunately it is unknown what those dancings represent, and the ex-inhabitants of Sille could not give more information about the meaning of the women dancings and the movement of their hands, neither explain the men's sword dance. There is also another dance which can be found also to other Cappadocian villages, where the dancers are carrying wooden spoons.External links
* [http://www.sille.gen.tr/ Sille Homepage]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Konya+Turkey&ll=37.959222,32.448635&spn=0.030087,0.059034&t=k Sille in google maps]
* [http://www.pbase.com/dosseman/konya_turkey Pictures of the city, amongst them the Mevlana Muzesi and several Seljuk buildings]
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07619a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia entry]
* [http://www.allaboutturkey.com/konya.htm All About Turkey]
* [http://www.sacredsites.com/middle_east/turkey/konya.htm Sacred Sites]
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