Whirling Dervishes Istanbul
Whirling Dervishes Istanbul
3.5
About
The Ceremony is in the Real Monasteries near Fatih, Yenikapi, Silivrikapi and Galata areas where the local & the Sufi Community lives. We are the member of the community since the 90's and have a culture center in Sultanahmet. Every Mondays and Thursdays at 20:00 we meet in our place, give a little lecture about the ceremony and go to our monastery with our Car. Its an authentic Ceremony and not a tourist show like in Sultanahmet. The Duration is app. 2 hours with Zikr ( meditation ), Sufi Music & Dervish Ceremony. In the end of the ceremony we return back to Sultanahmet. The Dress Code is long Sleeves & you can take a few photos without flash and disturbing the ambiance. We only take limited number of guests soo please let us know in advanced.. You are all welcome in our monastrey..
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience Whirling Dervishes Istanbul and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Sultanahmet
With so many unmissable attractions within a mere stroll of each other – and all set around the site of an ancient Byzantine hippodrome – Sultanahmet is an overwhelmingly popular tourist destination, and a prime location for visitors to be wowed on a truly epic scale. Beyond the wonders of the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and more, this relatively small area of Istanbul somehow manages to retain an air of peace and calm. It offers visitors a significantly less celebrated but nonetheless pleasant network of quaint lanes and side streets, majestic panoramas of the Bosphorus, and an impressive assortment of accommodation options for all budgets and tastes.
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
4,640 within 5 kms
Attractions
1,166 within 10 kms
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
3.5
136 reviews
Excellent
50
Very good
34
Average
24
Poor
12
Terrible
16
Iskandar
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia339 contributions
Dec 2019 • Solo
There are a few places that offer Whirling Devishes and I went to Hodjapasha Center in Istanbul & I am glad to have chosen Hodjapasha. The center is walking distance from Tram station Sirkeci. And the center projected explanation about what is being performed during the show so that all audience understand the meaning behind the whirling. Without the explanation many audience may think it is just another twirling... i recommend Whirling Devishes at Hodjapasha and you will appreciate all the movement behind the various twirling. No photos are allowed during the show.
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
IntrepidTraveler
Rhodes, Greece14 contributions
Sept 2019
This beautiful ceremony, which takes place in a temple, was one of the highlights of my time (almost three months, so I saw a lot of things, where there is something to see everywhere) in Istanbul. There are other places to see Whirling Dervishes but most of them are spectacles/performances for tourists. This one is not. I did not expect that this would actually be such a moving, spiritual experience for me. My suggestion to visitors would be to really be present rather than spend most of the time trying to take pictures to post on Instagram.
Written 24 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
yasin
Istanbul, Türkiye1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Friends
We watched the show at Sultanahmet Kızlarağası Madrasa, the dancers were beautiful. There was one person in particular who played an instrument, he had a lot of strings, and then I learned that his name was Kanun. He played very well, I was very impressed. The negative aspect was that the person who sang while playing rhythm did not have a nice voice at all, and spoke in a rough tone.
Written 28 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert Pierre S
San Diego, CA109 contributions
Dec 2021 • Family
It has been such a long since i saw such a boring show.
Not sure what exciting about seeing 4 men in white skirts turning around forever .
My neighbor fell asleep 💤 😂
What a waste of time . It may appeal to religious people?
Not sure what exciting about seeing 4 men in white skirts turning around forever .
My neighbor fell asleep 💤 😂
What a waste of time . It may appeal to religious people?
Written 5 December 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Swalma
29 contributions
Nov 2016 • Solo
I attended the show tonight. There is no aspect of the show itself that I would criticize, the booking was simple and the venue easy to find. However, I believe it's the audience that spoil it for someone who really wants to immerse themselves in the spirituality of the performance. Some people spoke and laughed quite loudly until more than halfway through the show, then simply got up and left with as much noise as they could make. Please do your homework regarding this performance, don't view it as something you have to do because you are in Turkey, do it because you can respect and appreciate the work put into a perfectly executed performance. 'Just saying'😓
Written 22 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Enoch C
Dubai, United Arab Emirates8 contributions
Dec 2014 • Family
The show/ceremony was a great experience. It wasn't too long, but long enough. The cost was 50TL per person and there's a show every day at 7pm with alternating groups each day. Sirkeci station is the istanbul main train station located in the old city on the Golden Horn. Its easily accessible by public transport. The venue is held in the old waiting room of the Orient Express train which is historic and a nice setting.
They allow photography/videography (no flash please) which the other shows around town DO NOT.
Go by there earlier in the day or day(s) before so you can reserve a seat on the front row, espeically if you wanna take photos.
They allow photography/videography (no flash please) which the other shows around town DO NOT.
Go by there earlier in the day or day(s) before so you can reserve a seat on the front row, espeically if you wanna take photos.
Written 26 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
iTravel4Foood
Skopje, Karpos, Macedonia20 contributions
Nov 2015 • Friends
We will never get our hour back. Its impressive that they can spin in circles for that long, one of them could possibly hold the world record, but it's a 5 minute show stretched out to an hour. Half the audience looked confused, the other half were sleeping.
Do not go. Its not even about the cost. Just don't go.
Do not go. Its not even about the cost. Just don't go.
Written 9 November 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bhh2011
West Chester, PA37 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
This had to be the biggest let down of all of my travels. It was interesting for about 5 minutes, then the rest of the hour you are bored to pieces. Watch a youtube clip and you get the exact same experience. WASTE OF MONEY!
Written 28 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
C T
Washington DC, DC12 contributions
Oct 2015 • Friends
I feel a little dumb, because the other travelers in my group apparently knew what to expect - but this show is literally just men spinning in circles the whole time. That is it. The descriptions of the show make so many claims about what an amazing, educational, cultural experience it is that I expected the show to tell a story, or teach about the history of the whirling dervishes. But no, it is literally just men spinning in a circle for an hour. It was relaxing at first, and then became super boring. Also, they covered the knees of any woman wearing an above the knee skirt, but men in shorts were left unmolested.
Written 8 December 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
B S
Washington DC, DC28 contributions
Mar 2015 • Friends
Group of four went to see Sema ceremony in March, 2015. Cost was 60TL each. Were told show was an hour. Small ensemble played music for 15 mins, then a 30 min presentation of five men turning counterclockwise forever and ever and ever. This is a religious performance, not entertainment, so for the tourist looking for traditional folk dance--do not go to this. If you're looking for a painfully long ceremony for non-Turks, this is it. Positives?... a strive to continue tradition, respectful and nobody fell. Negatives--after three minutes of twirling we were ready to fast-forward, the audio-visual display was elementary and efforts made to educate audience members were small, and nobody fell.
Three out of the four in our group strongly disliked the evening and wished we had decided on a different entertainment event rather than being duped into paying for a religious, draining experience. We are a group which enjoys any culture and experience, but this is a marketed program thus should be characterized as such. I found myself watching the audience and monitoring which individuals were sleeping or just genuinely disinterested.
Do not even think about taking children or teenagers to this program.
Three out of the four in our group strongly disliked the evening and wished we had decided on a different entertainment event rather than being duped into paying for a religious, draining experience. We are a group which enjoys any culture and experience, but this is a marketed program thus should be characterized as such. I found myself watching the audience and monitoring which individuals were sleeping or just genuinely disinterested.
Do not even think about taking children or teenagers to this program.
Written 13 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
how many place i can watch dervishes dance.which place is best how much is cost
Written 24 September 2016
Most of the tourist offices sell packages. We paid 45USD or around there xx
Written 24 September 2016
How did you go about booking?
Written 19 July 2015
We showed up 3 min before the doors closed and bought tickets. There is a table set up outside of the building complex, right out on the street, and they sell tickets. I guess we were fortunate to get tickets that late. They only perform once/week I think.
Written 20 July 2015
hi
which restaurant did you watch the dervishes at please?
Written 19 May 2015
where did you go see it and is photography allowed?
Written 18 December 2014
Hi.. Yes photography is allowed... The ceremony is in a real monastery..
Here are the contact..
Les Arts Turcs
Alemdar Mh. Incili Cavus Sk.
No: 19 Floor : 3 (Behind The Underground Cistern)
Sultanahmet 34110
Istanbul, Turkey
Phone : +902125276859
Written 19 December 2014
Showing results 1-6 of 6
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing