Whirling Dervish Ceremony in Fatih
Whirling Dervish Ceremony in Fatih
4
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Dervish Ceremony in the Real Monastery Every Monday & Thursday Nights at 20:00. meeting place is Sultanahmet. Shuttle Service from Sultanahmet to the monastery. In the end of the ceremony, return back to sultanahmet
Duration: 2-3 hours
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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.
4.0
44 reviews
Excellent
24
Very good
10
Average
5
Poor
2
Terrible
3
Archie
Glenmoore, PA7,744 contributions
Jul 2023 • Family
We booked this online. This is an actual ceremony and not a performance. We walked to a small cultural center. It can hold only about 4-5 sufi dancers. Its plastic chairs that you sit on. Everyone is very nice. The ceremony starts at 8:30 p.m. The dancing doesn't really begin until 9:45. It ends at 10:30. There are prayers and music. It does feel like you are intruding in someone personal prayer space. Definitely need to cover your legs. They don't require it but its just respectful. They offer water and a Pastry. It does not look like a monastery but a small comment space. The dervish dancers are mesmerizing. If you are looking for a tourist attraction this is not it. You can take videos and pictures.
Written 7 July 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.
Senta S
Brooklyn, NY127 contributions
Feb 2012 • Solo
The former monastery of the famous sect of Sufis known as the Whirling Dervishes is now a museum. It is located just a short walk from the funicular stop at Tunel. A gated entrance lets you into a lovely courtyard and downstairs to the museum. It is filled with memorabilia in glass cases beautifully displayed including manuscripts, pictures, musical instruments and various hats of the Sufis. The museum is small but has enough information on their lives, poetry and every day work to make it enjoyable.
However, the highlight of my visit was the ritual dance which is performed on the last Sunday of each month by a group of devotees inside the beautiful octagonal wooden dance floor. At 3:00 in the afternoon the dancers appear one by one, some prayers are said first. Then slowly they begin to whirl around with their white skirts on the wooden floors to music that comes from balcony. Their skirts whirl around like sails spinning around the world their arms at times outstretched seemingly reaching for the heavens. The intoxicating sounds of the flutes and drums drifts down into the 18th lodge creating a truly unbelievable experience. I found myself almost in a trance, as the music continued. A beautiful real moment, not a show biz performance for tourists.
If you plan on attending, please note that there is an extra charge for the performance, and arrive early at least 30 minutes before as the lodge only fits a small group. You want to be sure that you are sitting at the far end of the entrance door to get the best view of the dancers coming thru the door.
A lovely special afternoon for people seriously interested in learning more about the great Sufi master Mevlana Jelaleddin Rumi who died in 1273.
However, the highlight of my visit was the ritual dance which is performed on the last Sunday of each month by a group of devotees inside the beautiful octagonal wooden dance floor. At 3:00 in the afternoon the dancers appear one by one, some prayers are said first. Then slowly they begin to whirl around with their white skirts on the wooden floors to music that comes from balcony. Their skirts whirl around like sails spinning around the world their arms at times outstretched seemingly reaching for the heavens. The intoxicating sounds of the flutes and drums drifts down into the 18th lodge creating a truly unbelievable experience. I found myself almost in a trance, as the music continued. A beautiful real moment, not a show biz performance for tourists.
If you plan on attending, please note that there is an extra charge for the performance, and arrive early at least 30 minutes before as the lodge only fits a small group. You want to be sure that you are sitting at the far end of the entrance door to get the best view of the dancers coming thru the door.
A lovely special afternoon for people seriously interested in learning more about the great Sufi master Mevlana Jelaleddin Rumi who died in 1273.
Written 8 April 2012
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.
GreatWhiteMark
Montreal103 contributions
Apr 2014 • Couples
My wife and I attended this ceremony on a Thursday night. We met at the Cultural Center Turc just behind the Basilica Cistern and drove over in 2 large comfortable vans. It was a fairly long drive. I wanted to experience a true Dervish ceremony and not a touristy commercial one, and I think we hit the nail on the head with this one. However, as it hasn't been "tricked" up and remains a solemn ceremony for worshippers, it ended up being quite long, and I must say, not as "whirly" as I thought it would be.
We caught a good 45 minutes of the "mass", which consists of a few Turkish men speaking at length, and as I do not understand Turkish, this part was boring. Then we had a small meal of meat, rice, and Ayran which was nice, then we were on to the whirling part of the ceremony. It was interesting, but the movements are slower than I thought, and they are very similar, meaning this too becomes a bit boring after a while.
I'm glad we did it as I wanted to see this ceremony. I would recommend this one if you want to see authentic; there are other places that from what I understand, put on more of a show for the tourist, up in the Taksim area.
Also, while an interesting once in a lifetime thing, the price of 70 TL each wasn't cheap, but this did include the transport and the small meal, as well as donation to hall, so...
We caught a good 45 minutes of the "mass", which consists of a few Turkish men speaking at length, and as I do not understand Turkish, this part was boring. Then we had a small meal of meat, rice, and Ayran which was nice, then we were on to the whirling part of the ceremony. It was interesting, but the movements are slower than I thought, and they are very similar, meaning this too becomes a bit boring after a while.
I'm glad we did it as I wanted to see this ceremony. I would recommend this one if you want to see authentic; there are other places that from what I understand, put on more of a show for the tourist, up in the Taksim area.
Also, while an interesting once in a lifetime thing, the price of 70 TL each wasn't cheap, but this did include the transport and the small meal, as well as donation to hall, so...
Written 15 April 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.
TravelGirl1125
Fulton, TX84 contributions
Oct 2014 • Couples
This is a religious ceremony, not a show for entertainment, thus it is not as "exciting" as one might expect. However, if you wish to witness a dying art and see how these few devoted men are carrying on a centuries old tradition, then spend the time.
Written 16 October 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.
pictureframe
Los Angeles49 contributions
Jan 2019
I went to the Whirling Dervish ceremony in Faith with my teenage daughter. I was interested to see the real whirling dervishes instead of going to a sound and light show of whirling dervishes. The good part is that this is very authentic and you are observing a religious ceremony. The not to exciting part is that you really are sitting quietly for 1.5 hours and watching a religious ceremony :) Am I glad I went? Yes. Was my daughter bored? Yes. Would I go see it again? Probably not. Was it worth seeing it? Yes, because it is a very unique experience but once you've seen it, you probably wouldn't want to see it again. I would recommend this if you have seen all the major monuments and historic things in Turkey already and are out of things to do and see :)
Written 15 January 2019
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.
John B
Cambridgeshire, UK889 contributions
May 2013 • Friends
The Dervish Museum does not really feel like a museum. It feels as if it is still in use housed as it is in a building which is in very good and quite homely condition. As well as extremely tasteful and well explained exhibits (in English and Turkish) the building contains a special dance hall. The tombs and graves of many famous members of the society are found outside in the grounds, (along with many feral cats), but side by side with this past history the boards of the dance floor are still polished and there are weekly performances of Dervish dancers. Unfortunately there was no dancing on the day we visited. In the museum you can learn a lot about the poet Rumi, Sufism and the relationship between Turkish history, the Ottomans and Islam. It is a restful place and well worth the visit. The Whirling Dervish Hall is on the Galipdede Caddesi near Tunel Square. We looked for it, couldn’t find it then found it by accident whilst looking for the EREN bookshop.
Written 18 May 2013
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.
dutchladyNetherlands
netherlands34 contributions
Jun 2012
located at beyoglu, istanbul's oldest Mevlevi sanctuary. ıt was an auxiliary building, now used as a museum. attractive with its Sema, the entrance fee is 5 tl
Written 18 August 2012
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.
mtravel89
5 contributions
Jun 2019
It was an hour of them humming with about 20 minutes of that being spinning. Other wise they were walking around or not moving at all. You can go to say you went....but def not missing out if you miss this. Beautiful location though.
Written 4 September 2019
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.
Lawboy911
Edmonton, Canada8 contributions
Apr 2019 • Couples
That is an hour of my life I won’t ever get back. Nothing special. Five grown men twirling for 25 minutes. Nothing unique, nothing special. Done under the guise of religion but dubious at best. Highly over rated. Go have more baklava instead. It will leave a sweeter taste in your mouth.
Written 11 April 2019
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.
lky p
Paris, France31 contributions
Nov 2016 • Couples
I was drawn- in from the begging of the lecture to zikr ceremony to the dancing ... Both me and my husband were touched!!
Highly recommended!!
Highly recommended!!
Written 26 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.
Mohamad M
Beirut, Lebanon
Last time we went there the event was cancelled
How we can be sure that the show is taking place?
Written 22 January 2018
In the monastery, it is 2 hours but can be a bit longer too.. Every Thursdays at 20:00
Written 17 October 2016
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