Galata Mevlevi House Museum is the most powerful icon representing Rumi’s philosophy in Istanbul. There are also whirling dervish performances in the museum, which is an old Mevlevi lodge.
Konya is actually the most important city of Mevlevi dervishes in Turkey. Once a year, a ritual of Mevlevi dervishes is held in Konya and attracts thousands of visitors from all over the country.
However, for those who do not have time to go to Konya, some places in Istanbul also provide an adequate experience. If you want to watch the best Mevlevi dervish performance in Istanbul, you can buy tickets by clicking this link.
Mevlevi Dervishes
Mevlevi Dervishes receive their names from Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi. Mevlana was a philosopher, poet and an opinion leader who lived between 1207-1273 in Konya. Sufis (Mawlawi dervishes) tried to strengthen their belief by prayers, Sufi music and whirling dervish performance.
Whirling Dervish Performance is the ritual style of Mawlavi Dervishes and it can be watched as a show today. Although it is performed at a theatre hall, if you focus on its thousands of years of holy meaning, you can enjoy it even more.
Whirling Dervish Shows in Istanbul
The most popular places to watch Whirling Dervish Show in Istanbul are Galata Mevlevi Museum Performance Hall and Hodjapasha Cultural Center. You can find information about these two halls in the following lines and buy tickets from the links.
1. Galata Mevlevi House Museum
Galata Mevlevi House Museum is undoubtedly the most famous Whirling Dervish Center in Istanbul. It’s located on the ramp from Galata Tower to Istiklal Street. The name of the street where the museum is located is Galip Dede Street and there are shops selling various musical instruments around it.
Whirling dervish shows used to be performed every Sunday. The hall where the show was performed can hold up to 150 spectators. Therefore, you are suggested to buy your tickets earlier in the day. During the high tourist season, it may be difficult to find a ticket around the starting time of the show.
Galata Mevlevi Dervish Show tickets were normally sold through an online ticket sales company called Biletix. I have previously shared a link here so you could purchase it from the original source, but as far as I understand, the show is temporarily discontinued as of 2024.
If the shows at the Galata Mevlevi Museum start again, I will share the link here. But until then, you can buy tickets to the best wirhling derwish show in town via this link. I would like to emphasize that this performance received thousands of positive comments.
2. Hodjapasha Cultural Center
Hodjapasha Cultural Center was founded where an old Ottoman hamam used to be. It boasts a nice hall and an experienced group of whirling dervishes. It’s located at Cagaloglu Yokusu, nearby Sirkeci Tram Station, and Marmaray Sirkeci Station.
Hodjapasha attracts the attention of tourists as well as locals thanks to being one of the best places to watch traditional folk dances and whirling dervish shows.
Whirling dervish shows are performed a few days in a week at Hodjapasha Cultural Center and ticket price per person is around 1000 Turkish Liras (37 Dollars). You can purchase the ticket from this link.
The biggest difference of the whirling dervish in Hodjapasha is that it is displayed more frequently than Galata Mevlevi Museum. Also, the show in Hodjapasha is closer to the districts of Old City such as Sultanahmet, Beyazit and Laleli.
Galata Mevlevi Museum Entrance Fee 2024
Galata Mevlevi House Museum entrance fee is 7 Euros as of 2024. The Museum Pass Istanbul is valid at the entrance. The information on the ticket price was last updated on March 20, 2024.
Galata Mevlevi House was a center where Rumi’s followers gathered during the Ottoman Empire. This historical building has been turned into a museum in modern times.
While visiting the museum, you can learn about the teachings of Rumi, a philosopher whose fame has spread around the world, and the lifestyle of his followers.
Galata Mevlevi Museum Opening Hours 2024
Galata Mevlevi House Museum opening hours are between 09:00 in the morning and 18:30 in the evening. Please also note that the Museum is closed on Mondays. Information on visiting hours was last updated on March 20, 2024.
The Museum is Closed for Restoration!
Please note that the Galata Mevlevi House Museum has been closed to visitors since the last months of 2023 for restoration. The museum was still closed when I updated this article on the 20th of March 2024.
Visiting times of museums in Istanbul may change due to events and renovations. Before going to the museum, I recommend you to visit the official website of the museum and review the latest situation.
How to Get to The Museum?
Galata Mevlevi House Museum is located very close to the most important touristic centers of the city. Since the museum is located in Beyoglu district, it is possible to reach it on foot from Taksim Square, Cihangir, Galata and Karakoy.
In order to get to the Galata Mevlevi House Museum from Sultanahmet, you can take the Tram T1 to Karakoy stop and climb the Yuksek Kaldirim Street, which goes towards the Galata Tower. This gentle slope takes you to Galip Dede Street where the museum is located.
After visiting this museum, known as the “Galata Mevlevihanesi” in the local language, you can take a pleasant walk on Istiklal Street. Galata, Cihangir and Pera, which are the most beautiful districts of Beyoglu, surround the museum.
Written by Serhat Engul
Both links for ceremonies in Mevlevi and Hodjapasha are not valid anymore I think. It is possible to update them?
Dear Luven, thank you for reaching out. I will be updating the article in a few days.
Hello Serhat
Thank you for all the useful information you provide here!
My question: Mevlevi is marked as “temporarily closed” on Google – is that right?
Hello Hans, yes I just checked their official site and Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum is temporarily closed due to restoration as of August 2023. There is no information yet on when it will open.
Hello Serhat, is the Museum pass valid for the Hodjapasa dervishes, or for the ritual show at Alemndar? Thank you! Hawah
Hello Hawah, unfortunately Museum Pass is not valid anywhere except the museums in Istanbul. In other words, the museum card does not have any function in activities. The stages where dervish shows take place are always private businesses.
Hello! Any update (or estimate) on when the museum will be open again? Thanks.
Hello Huseyn, unfortunately, the Galata Mevlevi Lodge museum is still closed and there is no statement about when it will open.