Steps from Hagia Sophia

About this experience

The ceremony takes place at the Turquoise Istanbul Event Hall, Alemdar Cd. 5, on the street that runs down from Hagia Sophia toward Gülhane. The listing describes the salon as a traditional wooden Istanbul house, and says the ceremony is performed by local followers of Sufism. The music is old: every piece, per the listing, was composed between the 1400s and the early 1800s. Plan on 55 minutes.

It opens with instrumental music on strings, drums and flutes, to let your ear settle into the sound. Then the prayers begin and the dervishes enter. As the rhythm builds, their turning speeds up, which the listing reads as the harmony of all things in the universe. A professional host explains the ritual before and after, and guests describe a question and answer session at the end. You get tea or sherbet and water, and a smart audio guide in English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Arabic and Chinese.

Included: entry to the ceremony with live music, the drink and water, and the audio guide. Not included: food and other drinks. The listing marks it as not suitable for children under 2, and making noise is not allowed. UNESCO inscribed the Mevlevi Sema ceremony on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008, after first proclaiming it in 2005. A friendly tip: visit the restroom before the ceremony starts, as the listing asks, so you can stay in your seat for all 55 minutes.

• A 55-minute Sema with live traditional music
• On Alemdar Street, a few steps from Hagia Sophia
• A professional host before and after, with time for questions
• Tea or sherbet and water with your ticket
• A smart audio guide in 8 languages
• Music composed between the 1400s and the early 1800s, per the listing

How the day runs

1. ArrivalAlemdar Cd. 5

   Meet at the Turquoise Istanbul Event Hall, a short walk from Hagia Sophia and the Sultanahmet tram stop.

2. Before the SemaThe host's introduction

   A first look at what the ritual means, and your audio guide if you want it.

3. The musicStrings, drums and flutes

   An instrumental opening to settle the room.

4. The ceremonyPrayers and the whirling

   The dervishes enter, and the turning speeds up with the rhythm.

5. 55 minutesTea, sherbet and questions

   A drink and the host's answers once the ceremony ends.

What's included

Who it suits

What guests say

Tips before you book

• Use the restroom before you sit down. The listing asks guests to go before or after the ceremony.
• Silence matters here, per the listing. Mute your phone and keep small children for another evening if they cannot sit still.
• Charge your phone for the audio guide, and pick your language before the music starts.
• Combine it with a day around Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque: the hall is a short walk from both.
• First Sema? Our Sema etiquette guide covers photos, clapping and what to wear.

Read next:

• Sema etiquette
• Best show in Istanbul

Frequently asked questions

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