In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Choose between a ceremony and a show. The Sema is a Mevlevi religious ceremony: 60 minutes, silent, no photography, no applause. Hodjapasha, a restored hamam in Sirkeci, runs it every day at 19:00, and the Hodjapasha ticket with exhibitionad is €29. The ceremony at the Hoca Rüstem Medresead is €20 and the 55-minute ceremony by the Basilica Cisternad €14. Hodjapasha’s Rhythm of the Dance (Turkish folk and belly dances) is a separate dance show, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 20:30, also €29. Arrive 30 minutes early at Hodjapasha. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices for one adult.
The venues compared
| Venue | What you see | When | Length | GetYourGuide from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hodjapasha, Sirkeciad | Sema ceremony and an exhibition | Every day, 19:00 | 60 minutes | €29 |
| Hodjapasha, Sirkeciad | Rhythm of the Dance, a dance show | Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, 20:30 | 65 minutes | €29 |
| Hoca Rüstem Medrese, Fatihad | Sema ceremony | Times in the booking calendar | 1 hour | €20 |
| A wooden house by the Basilica Cisternad | Sema ceremony with a host | Times in the booking calendar | 55 minutes | €14 |
What the ceremony is
The Sema is the ritual of the Mevlevi Sufi order, founded in Konya in 1273. A singer, a ney (reed flute) player, a kettledrummer and a cymbal player perform a fixed musical repertoire while the dancers turn on the spot. UNESCO listed the Mevlevi Sema ceremony on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008, and its entry notes that many ceremonies are now performed for tourist audiences, shortened and simplified (UNESCO).
The entrance to the Galata Mevlevi Lodge, a Mevlevi dervish lodge in Beyoğlu. Photo: VikiPicture, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
At Hodjapasha the programme opens with a classical Turkish music concert, then the dervishes and the sheikh take their places, and the seven-part Sema follows. The room expects silence: no talking, applause or photography. Hodjapasha has no dress code.
Hodjapasha
Sema from €29 · every day at 19:00 · 60 minutes · 5,411 reviews
Hodjapasha Cultural Center is a large 15th-century hamam on Hocapaşa Hamamı Sokak in Sirkeci, near Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace. Istanbul: Hodjapasha Whirling Dervishes Show & Exhibitionad is the ceremony plus an exhibition of dervish clothing, instruments and books, a programme booklet and bottled water. Check-in opens 30 minutes before the start. Children under 7 are not admitted, seats are allocated first come, first served, and the venue is not suitable for wheelchair users. Hodjapasha also sells tickets on its own site, where booking ahead is advised for better seats.
Rhythm of the Dance
From €29 · Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 20:30 · 65 minutes · 1,679 reviews
Istanbul: Hodjapasha Rhythm of The Dance Showad is a staged programme of Ottoman harem dances, traditional dances and belly dances, with rhythm and fire shows. The venue describes it as the entertaining option, and photography without a light is possible. Book it if you want a performance, not a ceremony.
Two other venues
Hoca Rüstem Medrese
From €20 · 1 hour · 1,855 reviews · Istanbul E-pass
Istanbul: Whirling Dervishes Ceremony and Mevlevi Semaad is held in a medrese, a historic Islamic college building, on Hoca Rüstem Sokak in Fatih. Be in the hall 15 minutes before the start. The ticket includes an audio-guide app, so bring headphones and a charged phone.
The wooden house by the Basilica Cistern
From €14 · 55 minutes · 1,301 reviews
Istanbul: Whirling Dervish Ceremony next to Hagia Sophiaad meets at the entrance of the Basilica Cistern, where the reception desk is at the gate of a large white wooden house. The gate opens 30 minutes before the ceremony. A host explains the ritual before and after, and the price includes tea or sherbet. It is the cheapest and the shortest.
Choosing
- A full ceremony in a historic hall, with an exhibition: Hodjapasha at 19:00, €29.
- The lowest price: the 55-minute ceremony by the Basilica Cistern, €14.
- A dance show, not a ritual: Rhythm of the Dance, Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday at 20:30.
- A dervish number between courses: some of the Bosphorus dinner cruises include one in their show. That is entertainment, not the ceremony.
- The lodge itself: the Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum in Tünel, founded in 1491, has the Sema hall with its walnut floor. It is open daily except Monday, 09:00 to 18:30, and is one of the sites on the Museum Pass (muze.gov.tr).
What to book before you go to Istanbul lists the sights that need tickets. Hodjapasha is near Hagia Sophia, so the Sultanahmet walk and the Hagia Sophia visit fit before an evening ceremony. Istanbul walking tours and the Bosphorus cruise are the other bookings for an evening, and where to stay in Istanbul compares the areas.
Common questions
Is the whirling dervish show in Istanbul a show or a ceremony?
The Sema at Hodjapasha is a spiritual ceremony of the Mevlevi order, and the venue says so on its own site. It is slow and silent, with live music, and runs for 60 minutes. The venue's separate Rhythm of the Dance is a dance show with Turkish folk and belly dances.
How much is a whirling dervish ceremony in Istanbul?
From €14 for the 55-minute ceremony in a wooden house by the Basilica Cistern, €20 for the Sema at the Hoca Rüstem Medrese and €29 for the Sema at Hodjapasha with its exhibition. Prices are GetYourGuide's lowest 'from' prices for one adult.
When is the Hodjapasha whirling dervish ceremony?
Every day at 19:00, lasting 60 minutes, with check-in 30 minutes before. Hodjapasha is a restored 15th-century hamam near Hagia Sophia, in Sirkeci. Seats are allocated first come, first served, so booking ahead gets better seats.
Can children go to the whirling dervish ceremony?
Hodjapasha admits children from 7 years old to the ceremony. The listing for the ceremony by the Basilica Cistern says it is not suitable for children under 2. Silence is expected throughout.
Can I take photos of the whirling dervishes?
Not at the Sema. Hodjapasha does not allow photography or video at the ceremony and asks for silence; the GetYourGuide listing also bans talking and applause. Photography without light is possible at the Rhythm of the Dance show.
