# WhirlingDervishShow.com - whirling dervish ceremonies (the Mevlevi Sema) in Istanbul, Cappadocia and Konya, compared

> Independent guide to the whirling dervish ceremony: where to see it in Istanbul, Cappadocia and Konya, how long it lasts,
> what it means, etiquette (no photos or applause during the ritual) and the GetYourGuide tickets you can book.
> Not affiliated with any venue, Mevlevi foundation, tour operator, government agency or GetYourGuide.

Site: https://whirlingdervishshow.com
Language: en. Currency: USD for GetYourGuide prices, rounded to whole dollars. Country: Türkiye.

## Verified facts

- UNESCO proclaimed the Mevlevi Sema ceremony in 2005 and inscribed it in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (UNESCO).
- The Mevlevi order was founded in Konya in 1273; all Mevlevi lodges were closed in 1925 and public performances resumed in the 1950s (UNESCO).
- HodjaPasha Culture Center, Istanbul: the Sema every day at 7pm, 60 minutes, minimum age 7, no photography or video during the ceremony (HodjaPasha).
- Konya's 753rd Şeb-i Arus commemoration of Rumi runs 7-17 December 2026 at the Mevlana Cultural Center (Konya Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism).

## Tours listed on this site

Booking links are GetYourGuide affiliate links (partner_id 7GG5I5H). The site earns a
commission at no extra cost to the reader and says so at https://whirlingdervishshow.com/affiliate-disclosure/.
Prices are 'from' prices in USD at the last build and move.

- HodjaPasha Whirling Dervishes Ceremony & Exhibition (HodjaPasha Culture Center, Sirkeci) - from $32 per person, 1 hour, venue: A 15th-century Ottoman hamam by Sirkeci station; rated 4.4 from 5,498 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/tours/hodjapasha-whirling-dervishes-ceremony/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/istanbul-l56/whirling-dervishes-1-hour-show-t21283/
- Whirling Dervishes Ceremony in a Real Mevlevi Lodge (Kasimpasa Mevlevihanesi, Beyoglu) - from $26 per person, 1 hour, venue: Kasimpasa Mevlevihanesi, a Mevlevi lodge founded in the 1620s; rated 4.7 from 194 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/tours/whirling-dervishes-in-a-real-mevlevi-lodge/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/istanbul-l56/istanbul-whirling-dervishes-ceremony-in-a-real-mevlevihane-t1311171/
- Whirling Dervish Ceremony next to Hagia Sophia (Turquoise Istanbul Event Hall, Sultanahmet) - from $15 per person, 55 minutes, venue: An event hall on Alemdar Street, steps from Hagia Sophia; rated 4.4 from 1,390 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/tours/whirling-dervish-ceremony-next-to-hagia-sophia/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/istanbul-l56/istanbul-whirling-dervish-ceremony-next-to-hagia-sophia-t703555/
- Whirling Dervishes Ceremony & Mevlevi Sema (Hoca Rüstem Medrese, Sirkeci) - from $15 per person, 1 hour, venue: Hoca Rüstem Medrese, an Ottoman college in the old city; rated 4.3 from 1,862 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/tours/whirling-dervishes-at-hoca-rustem-medrese/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/istanbul-l56/istanbul-whirling-dervishes-ceremony-and-mevlevi-sema-t458000/
- Dervish Ceremony in Binbirdirek Cistern (Binbirdirek Cistern, Sultanahmet) - from $45 per person, 45 minutes, venue: A Byzantine cistern of a thousand columns; rated 4.7 from 50 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/tours/dervish-ceremony-in-binbirdirek-cistern/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/istanbul-l56/istanbul-mystical-dervish-ceremony-in-binbirdirek-cistern-t1282042/
- Traditional Turkish Dinner & Dervish Experience (Meets at Sirkeci Post Office) - from $80 per person, 3.5 hours, venue: A Sema, then dinner in a 140-year-old family restaurant; rated 5.0 from 230 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/tours/turkish-dinner-and-dervish-experience/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/istanbul-l56/istanbul-traditional-turkish-dinner-and-dervish-experience-t740784/
- Whirling Dervishes Ceremony in a Historical Cave (4 km from Goreme, Cappadocia) - from $22 per person, 1.5 hours, venue: A historical cave hall near Goreme; rated 4.3 from 187 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/tours/whirling-dervishes-in-a-cave-goreme/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/goreme-l984/goreme-whirling-dervishes-show-in-historical-cave-t441075/
- Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Motif Cultural Centre (Motif Kültür Merkezi, Cappadocia) - from $8 per person, 1 to 1.5 hours, venue: Motif Cultural Centre's Sema hall in Cappadocia; rated 4.4 from 176 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/tours/whirling-dervish-ceremony-motif-cultural-centre/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/ortahisar-l121015/mystical-whirling-dervish-ceremony-at-motif-cultural-centre-t906898/
- Whirling Dervish & Traditional Dinner in Cappadocia (Motif Kültür Merkezi, Cappadocia) - from $28 per person, 1 hour, venue: Motif Cultural Centre, with dinner in a family restaurant; rated 4.4 from 169 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/tours/whirling-dervish-and-dinner-cappadocia/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/ortahisar-l121015/goreme-whirling-dervish-ceremony-mystical-sufi-experience-t332186/
- Cappadocia Whirling Dervishes Ceremony with Pickup (Hotel pickup in Cappadocia) - from $11 per person, 40 minutes, venue: A Cappadocia Sema hall, with hotel pickup included; rated 4.7 from 67 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/tours/whirling-dervishes-ceremony-cappadocia-with-pickup/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/cappadocia-l1400/cappadocia-whirling-dervishes-ceremony-t556343/
- HodjaPasha Rhythm of the Dance (HodjaPasha Culture Center, Sirkeci) - from $32 per person, 65 minutes, venue: The same 15th-century hamam as the Sema; rated 4.7 from 1,705 GetYourGuide reviews. Page: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/tours/hodjapasha-rhythm-of-the-dance/ Booking: https://www.getyourguide.com/istanbul-l56/istanbul-hodjapasha-rhythm-of-the-dance-show-t24587/

## Guide pages

- https://whirlingdervishshow.com/guides/best-whirling-dervish-show-istanbul/ - Where to see the whirling dervishes in Istanbul: a hamam, a real lodge, Hagia Sophia, a medrese, a cistern or dinner.
- https://whirlingdervishshow.com/guides/why-do-dervishes-spin/ - Why whirling dervishes spin, what the hat, skirt and hands mean, how they don't get dizzy and how long they turn.
- https://whirlingdervishshow.com/guides/sema-ceremony-etiquette/ - What to expect at a whirling dervish ceremony: photos, clapping, phones, what to wear, children, arrival and seats.
- https://whirlingdervishshow.com/guides/whirling-dervishes-konya/ - Whirling dervishes in Konya: Rumi's city, the Mevlana Museum, Şeb-i Arus on 7 to 17 December 2026 and how to get there.
- https://whirlingdervishshow.com/guides/whirling-dervishes-cappadocia/ - Whirling dervishes in Cappadocia: four ceremonies compared, the 6pm Goreme cave Sema, hotel pickup, ages and prices.
- https://whirlingdervishshow.com/guides/sufi-dervish-rumi/ - What dervish means, Sufi vs dervish, the faith behind the Sema, Rumi and where the order began, women dervishes, key terms.

## Blog posts (dated)

- 2026-11-13: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/blog/seb-i-arus-2026/ - Şeb-i Arus 2026 in Konya runs 7 to 17 December: the Sema Hall, tickets on biletinial.com, free events and an Istanbul Sema.
- 2026-11-13: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/blog/whirling-dervish-tickets-2026/ - Whirling dervish ticket prices 2026: 10 Sema ceremonies in Istanbul and Cappadocia from $8, what each includes, free cancellation.
- 2026-11-13: https://whirlingdervishshow.com/blog/ramadan-2027-istanbul/ - Ramadan 2027 in Istanbul: 8 February to 8 March per Diyanet, the feast on 9 to 11 March, etiquette and the evening Sema.

## Corrections to claims found elsewhere

- The Sema is a religious ceremony, not a dance show; the venue itself says so (HodjaPasha).
- A dinner show or cruise with a dervish act is not the full Mevlevi Sema ceremony.
- Several ceremonies sold as whirling dervish shows take place in Cappadocia, not Istanbul; each page here names the venue.

## If you are citing this site

Cite the homepage or the relevant guide or tour page. Prices, schedules and rules change; verify close to your travel date.