Whirling Dervish Ceremony: Go on a Spiritual Journey

Istanbul, Turkey

1 hour (approx.)
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Istanbul Whirling Dervish Ceremony, A Mystical Sufi Experience

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Istanbul Whirling Dervish Ceremony, A Mystical Sufi Experience

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Overview

Watch Turkey’s Whirling Dervishes perform their famous “sema” ceremony without having to travel to their spiritual home of Konya during this evening show in Istanbul. Attend the cultural event at the Hodjapasha Dance Theater and have the opportunity to see the dervishes twist and turn in their white, flowing gowns, accompanied by traditional live music and Persian chanting. The sema ceremony isn’t just a performance; it’s a spiritual experience.

This tour is ideal for travelers interested in Turkey’s spiritual traditions
No photos or videos are allowed, so you have to experience it for yourself
A live orchestra adds atmosphere as the dervishes perform their dance
Enjoy the modern venue with drinks and snacks available to purchase

What's Included

Whirling Dervishes Ceremony (SEMA)
Sufi Music Concert

Hotel pick-up and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Operating hours
.7:00 pm

Departure Point

Hodjapasha, Hocapasa HamamI Sk. No:3 D:B, Istanbul 34410 Turkiye

What To Expect

Arrive in the neighborhood of Sirkeci and step into the Hodjapasha Dance Theater for your Istanbul Whirling Dervish Show. Enjoy the architecture of this 15th century building, originally used for Turkish baths and now home to ceremonial performances and traditional Turkish dance. Head to the bar and indulge in a few pieces of Turkish delight and a drink (own expense) before taking your seat in the main hall for your 1-hour show.

Kick-off the show with 15 minutes of wonderful traditional Turkish music. Then, witness a company of semazens (or whirling dervishes) perform the Mevleviye sema dance. Watch as this 800 year-old ritualistic dance is performed over 45 minutes. Observe these expressive Dervish’s whirl and glide along and see why this dance is included on UNESCO’s Intangible World Heritage List.

Feel the passion of the dance as each Dervish spins in a choreographed motion like a white top to Persian and classical Turkish music. Hear the kettledrum, flute, and cymbal conducted by the theater’s musicians and enjoy ancient Persian prayers and poetic songs.

Once the performance concludes, feel free to remain at the venue to relax with a drink or a snack at your own expense.

Hodjapasha

Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Minimum age is 7 years
Not wheelchair accessible

Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Photography is not allowed

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

3.9

based on 177 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Spiritual Journey

Mariana_R, Aug 2025

This Whirling Dervish Ceremony was the most incredible performance I have ever seen, as stated you definitely go on a spiritual journey, you aren’t allowed to film or take photos but you quickly understand why that is the case. Would definitely recommend this

Was amazing! Really a...

Pamela_P, Jul 2025

Was amazing! Really a good energy, feel good experience -informative about history and the spirituality of sufism.

Expensive for an hour of twirling

Sheri_S, Jun 2025

Expensive for a 60 min performance. Interesting at first, but just constant whirling was boring. I would not recomnend unless you are really into this sort of thing.

Historic (not touristic) Experience

Pamela_C, Sep 2024

Added so much historical and cultural value to our trip to witness this ancient ritual. The memory will stay with you.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Hello Pamela, Thank you for sharing your experience! We glad that you show an ancient religious ritual. If you will plan one more trip to Istanbul, we can treat you coffee on our office and serve you for other tours! Have a wonderful day!

Boring

Deanna_B, Jan 2024

Boring . Hard to find . Got lost for 30 minutes. Guide did not provide a clear address as there are a few whirling Dervish places .

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Hello, the exact address and venue name for this show is on the tour page. Nevertheless, we are sorry for our sad experience. We hope we will see you again İstanbul.

Must see

Birender_S, Oct 2023

Very interesting and learning experience. Meditative . Cultural . Must see . Well organised . Site easy to reach .

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Thank you for your comments & thoughts. We would love to see you again on your İstanbul vacations. Best wishes, Caner

Grateful to have...

Kent_W, Jul 2023

Grateful to have witnessed this mesmerizing ceremony based in the Sufi tradition. Keep in mind it’s not a show to entertain in the traditional sense, and photos and clapping are not appropriate. The museum at the cultural center gives an overview of the development and significance of the ceremony.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Thank you for your comments & thoughts. We would love to see you again on your İstanbul vacations. Best wishes, Caner

Show needs a major makeover

govindraj_r, Jul 2023

This show needs to more entertainment for the paid towards it. It is a very dull show. I see so many audience dozing off during the show.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Thank you for your comments & thoughts. We would love to see you again on your İstanbul vacations. Best wishes, Caner

Excellent performance in...

Robert_D, Jun 2023

Excellent performance in a converted 500-year-old Hammam building. Very evocative atmosphere, six-piece traditional orchestra and 5 dervishes performing. Loved the overall experience and introduction to Sufi culture.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Thank you for your comments & thoughts. We would love to see you again on your İstanbul vacations. Best wishes, Caner

Dervish show in Istanbul

Arnab_S, May 2023

It was good, informative. However photography was not allowed. This was disappointing a bit. Photography should have been allowed or this restriction should have been mentioned in the booking.

A beautiful spiritual...

Aparna_D, Dec 2022

A beautiful spiritual experience - they were very entrancing. Seating is assigned. If you buy from the center directly you can get a discount on combination tickets to watch their other show (many different regional dances).

Response from Host, Jan 2023

Thank you for your comments & thoughts. We would love to see you again on your İstanbul vacations. Best wishes, Caner

Enjoyable Experience

LasanthaRanasinghe, Oct 2022

The ceremony was captivating and enjoyable. If you're expecting a fast paced dance show, this may not be for you. Like the description say it's a spiritual ceremony. I wish they had provided an introduction to what we were about to experience before the shot and that would've made it more enjoyable. The theater is located in a cool and very old building in the middle of the Sirkeci neighborhood and it's a little difficult to locate. There are plenty of restaurants around the theater if you want to have dinner afterwards. Eventhough the description of the show mentions being able to purchase drinks at the bar, there was no bar and only bottles of water were available. Overall, it was a very good experience.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Thank you for your comments & thoughts. We would love to see you again on your İstanbul vacations. Best wishes, Caner

Interesting ceremony.

JorgeNonell, Oct 2022

Interesting ceremony , full of emotion and peace, it reflects the connection and interaction among humans and God.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Thank you for your comments & thoughts. We would love to see you again on your İstanbul vacations. Best wishes, Caner

A Personal Whirling Dervish Ceremony

Kelly_N, Sep 2022

We were a group of four adults and the reviews were mixed. I guess the explanation of the ceremony was not fully understood by everyone including myself. I have watched Dervish performances in other countries and venues but this is not a performance but rather a ceremony between the Dervishes themselves. There is no audience participation, no photos etc. The audience is required to remain silent throughout and the ceremony was at times monotonous and tedious. I found it interesting albeit not very enjoyable.

Response from Host, Oct 2022

Thank you for your comments & thoughts. We would love to see you again on your İstanbul vacations. Best wishes, Caner..

A short journey into a different world

Sherin_T, Aug 2022

Reserved the ticket through viator and was assigned the front and centre tickets for the show. The show started a bit later than planned, the organisers could have let in people a bit more earlier to resolve this. Rules are clearly explained and also information about the dance is projected onto the walls which helped me a lot. The ticket brought through viator was much more expensive than the face value of the ticket at the show, but this let me come in late as possible while getting the best seats. A different experience of a past culture which helped me understand Sufism much more.

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Hello Sherin, Thank you for sharing your thoughts & comments. We will send your ideas to show organiser. We would love to see you again with our daily tours. Best Wishes Caner

Boring ...

QuamrulH, Aug 2022

Boring Did the same thing for whole one hour… Fell asleep…. Music was nice but not the stage performance….

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Hello Quamrul, Actually most of our guests like the show but of course your opinions are important for us and Hodjapasha.I will send your thoughts to Hodjapasha Cultural Centre. Best wishes, Caner

Somewhat interesting, but not very entertaining

Andrew_M, Jul 2022

The story behind it was interesting but I found 1 hour to be very slow moving and repetitive. The performers are obviously talented but I am not sure it is appropriate as a one hour show.

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Hello Andrew , Your thought so important for us. I will send your ideas to derwish ceremony Director . I wish to meet again with you for ypur next istannbul holidays. Saim ATA

Viator did not close the...

Paul_T, Jun 2022

Viator did not close the loop on the tickets we ordered - had difficult 20 minute experience with event staff as they could not confirm the reservation we made with viator

Beautiful

Carolyn_B, May 2022

Beautiful ceremony. It was nice to learn about the Whirling Dervish culture. Well worth taking the time to see.

Loved it!

John_D, Nov 2020

The music was just as impressive as the whirlers. I enjoyed every moment of the show. I felt like I was walking through history!

Response from Host, Nov 2020

Dear John, Thank you for your good review.See you again. Regards

Boring

Marie, Feb 2020

Boring to Death. repetitive show for a the same movement for a whole one hour. I do not recommend at all

Response from Host, Mar 2020

Dear Guest Thank you very much for your valuable thoughts that you wrote for us. Our aim is to offer you the best quality service. So your valuable comments will always guide us. The complaints you mentioned are important to increase Guest Satisfaction by our Institution. All necessary warnings will be given to both management and teammates in order not to experience these complaints again. Thank you for your informative reviews and we hope to see you again in Istanbul for discover other parts of this magnificent city. Regards, Damla Baştürk

Authentic Sufi ceremony

Michael_H, Sep 2019

This is an authentic Sufi ceremony. There is no razz-ma-tazz here but you do get an excellent idea of what a whirling dervish is all about. Just fascinating.

Response from Host, Jan 2020

Thank you for you good comments, hope to see you again in İstanbul. Kind Regards, Bilal Uğur

Something special

Irene_R, Sep 2019

I have never seen something similiar. It was very interesting. It would have only be great when they had told us a little bit more about the life of them today,...

Response from Host, Jan 2020

Thank you for your positive comments. We would like to see you again in the near future. Kind Regards, Bilal Uğur

Sleepy Time

Robert S, Sep 2019

As my neck snapped up having dozed for a moment, I glanced around and saw others openly sleeping (in the front row) and several surfing the net. Yes, now I can say that I saw the whirling dervishes, but never again. Not unless I need an expensive sleeping potion.

Dervishly entertaining

Sharon_T, Aug 2019

Thoroughly enjoyed the spiritual experience. Only two things would have made a better experience: raising the height between rows of stadium seating and a lower temperature in the venue.

So deep, so clear, so much love.

ION_B, Aug 2019

Much much love shared. Clarity and deep spiritual ritual. Absolutely wonderful. No words can describe. Only one problem. No taxi driver knew where to find the center. Fix this please. For the whole visit in Istambul is definitory to have this contact easier.

Mesmerizing!

Helen_G, Jul 2019

The spiritual and symbolic Dervish Experience is well worth visiting when you are visiting Istanbul. I thoroughly enjoyed the show and now want to learn more of the history.