Kasimpasa Mevlevihanesi · Beyoglu, Istanbul
A Sema inside Kasimpasa Mevlevihanesi, a Mevlevi lodge founded in the 1620s and restored after decades of closure, a short walk from Galata Tower. Pick it to hear the resident sheikh explain the ritual before the music starts, in the kind of building the ceremony was made for.
Kasimpasa Mevlevihanesi is a mevlevihane, a Mevlevi lodge, on Keramet Sokak in Beyoglu. The listing calls it one of Istanbul's earliest, founded in the 1620s. Daily Sabah adds the story: it was established through the efforts of Fırıncızade Şeyh Sırrı Abdi Dede, rebuilt under Sultan Selim III in 1796 and Sultan Mahmud II in 1835, left empty after the lodges closed in 1925 and burnt down in 1976. Restored, it reopened in 2024, and the listing says a non-profit foundation runs it today. Guests describe a calm complex with a café, a shop and workshops.
The evening starts with a bilingual introduction in Turkish and English by the resident sheikh. You hear what the robes mean, why the dervishes tilt their heads, why one hand reaches up while the other reaches down, and what the four salams (the four movements of the ritual) stand for. Then the live Sufi music begins, the dervishes enter, and the four salams unfold. No light effects, no applause, per the listing. The ceremony takes 1 hour. Before and after, you can walk through the Tekke Artifacts Exhibition and the Dervish Trousseau Museum, and upstairs a gallery of calligraphy, instruments and old manuscripts.
Included: the ceremony, the introduction, the exhibitions, a multilingual booklet in Turkish, English, Arabic and Persian, and skip-the-line entry. Not included: hotel pickup and drop-off, and food and drinks. Photography, video and applause are prohibited during the ceremony, the listing recommends modest clothing out of respect, and the venue is wheelchair accessible, with an elevator on site. A friendly tip: one guest suggests arriving 30 minutes early for the front seats, though the upper floor gives a good view from above.
Skip-the-line entry at Keramet Sk. 17, then staff escort you to the ceremony hall.
Objects from the lodge's history and personal items used by dervishes over the centuries.
In Turkish and English: the robes, the tilted heads, the raised and lowered hands, the four salams.
Prayers, the ney, then the whirling in four parts, in a quiet hall with no applause.
Time for the upstairs gallery of calligraphy, instruments and manuscripts.
★★★★★The small introduction and the prayer performance provided a window into Sufi philosophy and traditions. Thank you for sharing it with us.
★★★★★Beautiful and powerful ceremony, very well explained by the guide who took extra time to answer questions at the end. Highly recommended.
★★★★★it is great to hear something about history and tradition beforehand
★★★★★It was a mesmerising event that I had the chance to to witness.
Read next:
Yes. The listing describes it as one of Istanbul's earliest Mevlevi lodges, founded in the 1620s, and Daily Sabah reported its restoration and reopening in 2024.
1 hour, per the listing, starting with the sheikh's bilingual introduction and ending with the four salams of the Sema.
Yes. The listing says the venue is wheelchair accessible, with an elevator on site.
It starts from $26 per person on GetYourGuide, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Pickup and food are not included.
Ready to book
A Sema in a Mevlevi lodge from the 1620s, introduced by the resident sheikh.
HodjaPasha Whirling Dervishes Ceremony & ExhibitionDaily at 7pm in a 15th-century hamam by Sirkeci: 60 minutes of Sema, a booklet, water and a dervish exhibition.★ 4.4 · 1 hour · from $32
Whirling Dervish Ceremony next to Hagia Sophia55 minutes of Sema on Alemdar Street by Hagia Sophia: live music, a host, tea or sherbet and an 8-language audio guide.★ 4.4 · 55 minutes · from $15
Traditional Turkish Dinner & Dervish ExperienceA guided walk, a 60-minute Sema, five kebabs and künefe in a 140-year-old family restaurant, then a private car back.★ 5.0 · 3.5 hours · from $80