Galata Mevlevi Museum, Istanbul

This former tekke (Whirling Dervish lodge) is both a museum and one of the few Istanbul venues to see an authentic Whirling Dervish performance. To get the most out of the experience, one should strongly consider visiting the museum before witnessing the performance, which takes place on Sundays at 5pm. Alternatively, one can freely wander around the beautiful, peaceful grounds, which features a small cemetery where former tekke members are interred.

The first thing to say about the Sema (Whirling Dervish) ceremony is that despite many of the audience being tourists, it is not some kind of tourist show thrown together purely for entertainment. The performance forms an integral part of a religious service, which one has to experience in its entirety to be able to put the whirling component into context and understand its significance. The ceremony builds from a near-silent, motionless beginning through several precise stages 鈥� each with its own importance and meaning 鈥� to the rhythmic movement that is known as whirling. Everything in the ceremony is laden with symbolism and is about transition, a representation of our journey through life and the desire to gain a meaningful understanding of our own existence.

Handout brochure explain the basics, seats are provided, and the whole thing takes around 50 minutes (be aware that this is an abbreviated version of the "real" ceremony that would take up to 3 hours). Come early if you want a full view seat 鈥� though standing and watching is also acceptable.

Tip:
Tickets for the museum are sold at a kiosk inside the grounds (walk in from the street, pass an information office on the right, keep going and you will see the kiosk on your right), while tickets for the Dervish ceremony are sold at a small table on the sidewalk in front of the main entrance to the museum, beginning from noon on Sunday.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Istanbul. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "51爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The 51爆料网 App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Galata Mevlevi Museum
Sight Location: Istanbul, Turkey (See walking tours in Istanbul)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Old European Quarter Walk

Walking Tours in Istanbul, Turkey

Create Your Own Walk in Istanbul

Creating your own self-guided walk in Istanbul is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Byzantine Heritage Walking Tour

Originated as a Greek city called Byzantium, what's now known as Istanbul initially made name as Constantinople, an Eastern Roman imperial capital whose greatness had lasted for over a millennium, from 330 AD until the Ottoman invasion in 1453.

The Byzantine Empire鈥檚 rich cultural and architectural heritage is still preserved in dazzling sites throughout the city. Away from its Islamic... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles

Istanbul Introduction Walking Tour

Formerly known as 鈥淏yzantium鈥�, 鈥淐onstantinople鈥� and 鈥淣ew Rome鈥�, Istanbul is the main city of Turkey, straddling the Bosphorus Strait, and as such, bridging the gap between Europe and Asia, both geographically and culturally. This ancient transcontinental metropolis embraces cultural influences of the many empires and civilizations that once ruled and flourished on this land.

... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.3 Km or 2.7 Miles

Old European Quarter Walk

Back in the Ottoman era, the Beyo臒lu neighborhood (then known as Pera) together with Galata formed the European Quarter of Istanbul. Home to embassies and trading centers, as well as the fine 19th-century, Parisian-style apartment houses, this area was much loved by the city's non-Islamic minorities.

Its growth was boosted by the opening of the Orient Express line, connecting Paris to... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles

Bosphorus Coast Walking Tour

One of the planet's most praised stretches of water, the Bosphorus is a source of great pride for Istanbulites and of admiration for travelers. The 30-km strait dividing Europe and Asia and connecting the Marmara with the Black Sea is one of the city's highlights, having been for all ages the subject of legend and art.

This self-guided walk will take you along the coast so that you... view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.9 Km or 3.7 Miles

Istanbul Old City Walking Tour

Situated at the heart of Old Istanbul, the Sultanahmet neighborhood is a fascinating hub of historical timeline. Dramatically located on a peninsula pointing across the Bosphorus Strait to Asia, this area was formerly an administrative pole of the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires, and as such, reflects numerous influences of the cultures once prevalent here.

Whether you feel like walking... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles

Istanbul City Walls

One of the most elaborate fortification systems of ancient times, the Walls of Constantinople were built by Constantine the Great to protect the city, the then newly-established capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, from attacks by land and sea. Of these, only the Golden Gate, an old ceremonial gateway into the city, had survived by the late Byzantine Era when a new series of land walls were added... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 5.2 Km or 3.2 Miles

View all walking tours in Istanbul, Turkey

Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip

Istanbul Shopping Guide: 16 Turkish Items To Bring Home

Istanbul, known throughout history as Byzantium and Constantinople, has been a major center of commerce and trade, a place where merchants and general folk would rush to regularly in search of exotic things. In our days, modern travelers to Istanbul are also bound to enjoy a truly magnificent...