Istanbul: Attend the Transcendental Whirling Dervish Ceremony
3.4
18 Ratings
Fatih
Experience the transcendental Whirling Dervish Ceremony in Istanbul, a mesmerizing 800-year-old mystical dance show. Embark on a spiritual journey and witness the UNESCO-recognized Sema ceremony.
Duration:
1 hour
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
- Hodjapasha - Embark on a soulful exploration and witness the enchanting ceremony of the Mevlevi Order, whose entrancing dance is recognized as a UNESCO Heritage of Humanity. The Sema ceremony represents a man’s spiritual climb to perfection through intellect and love
The venue for this event is HODJAPASHA, situated near Sirkeci Marmaray Station. The nearest tram stop is Sirkeci.
Address: Ankara Caddesi, Hocapaşa Hamamı Sokak No:3/B, Sirkeci/İstanbul
Emergency Number:
+90 541 252 09 92
What's Included
- 60-minute Dervish Ceremony
Additional Information
The Whirling Dervish Ceremony in Istanbul, a performance of transcendence by Sufi Dervishes, ranks among the city’s most attended events.
Highlights:
Embark on a spiritual quest
City’s top-rated event
Eight centuries old sacrosanct dance show
Witness the Mevlevi Semah ceremony
Whirling Dervish show in Istanbul
Embark on a spiritual quest and behold the divine spectacle of the Mevlevi Order’s ritual, a whirling dance recognized as a UNESCO Heritage of Humanity. The Sema ceremony symbolizes a man’s spiritual journey to attaining perfection through intellect and love - this fusion of music and movements should not be missed.
Location
Hodjapasha
Hocapaşa Hamamı Sokak
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
3.4
(18 Ratings)
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Applee17
Mar 31, 2024
Mesmerising - This is a fascinating ceremony. Mesmerising watching the men spinning for over 5 minutes a time with the commentary letting you know what each part means. This is not a 'show' - no clapping, no pictures or audience appreciation involved.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nickim794
Oct 2, 2023
Authentic and beautiful - Fabulous original authentic hamam setting. Mesmerizing Sufi performance with live music and traditional instruments. The energy & atmosphere incredible. No photos or videos allowed - a rare occurrence were audience sat in silence to experience ancient tradition and culture. Wonderful!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elaine_a
Mar 20, 2023
Cultural event - Highly recommend this event for folks wanting to understand the meaning and practice. Mesmerizing and informative. If wanting something more culturally specific and not “touristy,” this is most appropriate. There are also many restaurants near the venue, literally 10 ft. . Grab dinner beforehand and then the hour show. Limited seating and intimate venue. One is just 1-4 ft away from the Dervish. Not for ignorant tourists trying to check off the boxes of an Istanbul trip. The event is spiritual and requires
respect from audience.
No photography or video.
Review provided by Viator
Zhongwei_l
Dec 23, 2021
I like the the peaceful... - I like the the peaceful Dancing and beautiful music, they will become the most memorable part of my experience.
Review provided by Viator
Saad
Jul 21, 2021
Dinner cruise - It was a really lovely experience. I enjoyed it a lot.
And the sales executive called "baby Bayram" was really funny and remarquable person. He gave us all the informations we neesed before selling us the dinner cruise ticket. Big up to him🙏
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cyrilsen
Oct 24, 2023
An Out of the Ordinary Experience - The first thing to do i to go at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time so that you can read the many posters with good information.
The theater is not too big, so it does not really matter where you sit, you can see the show clearly.
The musicians and the sound system is good.
The dervishes are professional and the show was a great experience.
My experience was at the Hodjapasha Cultural Center.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thomas
Sep 15, 2022
Secret Hidesway - We were unable to find the theatre after 90 minutes searching. We took 2 taxis. Asked directions of 5 tour guides and one tourist agency. No one knew of this theatre nor how to locate it. We were very disappointed
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susancwilby
Dec 15, 2021
Don’t book this - The information on ticket was wrong it gave a wrong address for the experience. We spent two hours trying to find it. It was only when we went into a travel agency that we found the correct address. I even sent a message but no one replied. The actual whirling dervish experience was very poor and not enjoyable. I would not recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Antoniomarquezbordas
Sep 26, 2021
Fake advertising and no phone contact working. The shows stopped two weeks ago—waiting refund. - The shows is not performing, anyway they got my money and now awaiting the refund. I wasted my precious holiday time looking for a completely fake advertising. I called customer service and the provider, any of them are working. The Orient Express restaurant, beside the event hall inside the Sirkesi train station, indicated me that they stopped the show two weeks ago.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vladimir_k
Sep 24, 2021
Disappointing - be aware! - I had two major issues with this tour. It got cancelled last minute. The operator sent me an email at 5:15pm (start time was at 7pm) and I obviously didn’t see it. So I went there and only after I arrived I learned that it is cancelled. They should have called me or texted me. The second issue is that it is nearly impossible to find. The description doesn’t specify exact location, so we ended up running around several blocks and asking many people for help until we found it. Operator should do better job describing where the show is. We had terrible experience. I don’t recommend.
Review provided by Viator
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