Whirling Dervishes Ceremony: A Magical Experience

127 Ratings

Fatih

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Experience the mesmerizing Whirling Dervishes Ceremony in Istanbul, where dancers enter a state of hyper consciousness and maintain outstanding balance. Don’t miss this magical and unforgettable experience!

Duration: 50 minutes

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Kızlarağa Medresesi - The Mevlevi Sema ceremony is a Sufi ceremony that symbolizes the degrees of the path to Allah, contains religious elements and themes, and has detailed rules and qualities in this form. Mevlevi was the son of Mavlana Jalaluddin Rumi. It was performed in a disciplined manner starting from the time of Sultan Veled and Ulu Arif…

What's Included

Whirling Dervishes Ceremony

What's Not Included

Pick up and drop off

Additional Information

Experiencing the spectacle of whirling dervishes can shift your ordinary state of awareness, opening a window to a mystical universe.
Observing these dancers, possessed by an elevated state of consciousness while sustaining extraordinary equilibrium, is a breathtaking sight. Being a part of the Whirling Dervishes and the Mevlevi ceremony is certainly an…

Location

Kızlarağa Medresesi

Hoca Rüstem Sokak

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.3

(127 Ratings)

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1 star

Waleed

Dec 7, 2025

A Must Have Experience - We had briefly read about Sufism but never actually had any experiences, so we decided to try it out and honestly, I can easily see why it's so easy to induce trance and ecstacy. We walked into the relatively small venue in Sultanahmet with no expectations but the performance was so spiritual and emotionally resonant that I wish I had known more about it earlier. The dance and music is pure ecstacy. If you're someone who enjoys delving into cultures and traditions, this is a must have, beautifully portrayed experience.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Mariana

Nov 1, 2025

Beautiful - I really liked it, the experience is very culturally enriching, it would be good if you read before about what this dance is so you can enjoy it better, a very pleasant show.

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B8446jkgregs

Oct 30, 2025

Whirling Dervish on day one - The ceremony was just what we expended, a religious demonstration and not simple entertainment. We arrived 40 minutes early and got great seats. Arriving 15 minutes later and seating was in the third row.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Hassan_a

Oct 24, 2025

Must-see experience - If you are in Istanbul, the Whirling Dervishes ceremony is something you MUST definitely experience. From the time of booking this, the experience had been wonderful. The venue was great, nice ambience and the performance was mesmerizing. We arrived 20 minutes ahead of time, and got pretty good seats…it’s a small place and 3 rows of seats, so the view is good from anywhere. But, if you want prime seats up front, do arrive early. The host welcomed us, showed us to our seats, and generally did a great job at managing the arrivals and getting them seated. I went with my kids…and this was a new experience for them. Do take the time to go through the audioguide and get some more info about the Sufi especially the Mevlevi tradition…it will make the experience all the more better.

Review provided by Viator

Michael_s

Oct 24, 2025

Meditative twirlers. - Very well done. It was very different than what we were expecting. In a good way. It was interesting to see how long they could twirl around in a meditated state. Music was very intriguing and beautiful. Definitely worth going.

Review provided by Viator

Leeo402

Nov 12, 2025

Recommended - A little expensive, but worth it. Come early to view the exhibits in the lobby to get a better understanding of Sufiism and the dervish ritual. The presentation is first narrated and then, during the "dancing," short explanatory notes are projected on the wall. The music was a little too loud. The "dancers" appeared to be sincerely in it for the spiritual benefit, not just "doing a show" for the tourists. If you expect an extravagent "dance show" you will be disappointed; if you want to know more about Sufiism and are open to a more spiritual experience you will appreciate it.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Peter_e

Nov 2, 2025

Worth doing - It was an interesting and enjoyable experience. Visitors need to understand the religious and cultural significance of the ceremony, and watch it in that context - if you do then it is high on our list of recommended things to do.

Review provided by Viator

Tracy_a

Oct 20, 2025

Beautiful music and dancing ceremony; would have loved some explanation though! - Great cultural experience, but would have really enjoyed some explanation about the ceremony to fully appreciate what was happening. Had to research it later to fully understand it.

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Anahita_z

Oct 26, 2025

Feedback - Research should be done before seeing the show .it would have been better for there was some kind of explanation before the show

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Luraet

Dec 5, 2025

RIPPED OFF - We were unable to attend this event due to an unscrupulous yellow taxi driver who dropped us off in a dark alleyway, and told us to go "up the hill, and turn left' to reach the venue - as he "could not drive us all the way". Our tickets were never used. To date I have not received a refund of the cost of our tickets.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Check Availability

From $23

up to 15 guests

1 - Adult