Whirling Dervish Shows in Istanbul
Galata Mevlevi House Museum Entrance Fee and Opening Hours
Naturally, Konya (Iconium) is the first place that comes to mind when you think about watching a whirling dervish show in Turkey. Konya is the homeland of Islamic mysticism that dates back to 13th century. During the time of Seljuk Turks.
However, you can watch the famous whirling dervish show in Istanbul too. Don’t forget that Istanbul is the cultural center of Turkey and you can find all sorts of cultural activities in this amazing city.
No matter how famous whirling dervish show can be, most people still don’t have enough knowledge about the philosophy behind it. Therefore, I will try to explain in this post what whirling dervish performance really means.
What’s Mawlavi Ritual? What does Whirling Dervish Mean?
Mawlawi dervishes receive their names from Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi. Mevlana is 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.
Where Can You Watch a Whirling Dervish Show?
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Galata Mevlevihanesi Whirling Derwishes Performance Hall
Galata Mawlavi House is undoubtedly the most famous Whirling Dervish Center in Istanbul. It’s located on the ramp from Galata Tower to Tunnel Square and Istiklal Avenue (Named as Galip Dede Street).
Whirling dervish shows are performed at 17:00 every Sunday.
The hall where the show is performed can hold up to 150 spectators. Therefore, you are suggested to buy your tickets earlier in the day. During the times when the interest is high, it might be hard to find a ticket around the starting time of the show.
How to Buy Online Tickets for Galata Dervish Show?
Galata Mevlevi Dervish Show tickets are sold through an online ticket sales company Biletix. As of January 3, 2020, the last date this blog post was updated, the ticket price is 100 Turkish Liras. You can click this link to buy a ticket.
Whirling Dervish Show at Galata Mevlevi House
Whirling Dervish Show
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Hodjapasha Cultural Center Whirling Dervish Show
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 120 Turkish Liras. You can purchase the ticket from this link.
Whirling Dervish Show at Hodjapasha Cultural Center
Hodjapasha Cultural Center
Galata Mevlevi House Museum Entrance Fee 2020
The entrance fee for Galata Mevlevi House Museum is 18 Turkish Liras as of 2020. You can enter to the Whirling Dervish Lodge Museum with Istanbul Museum Pass.
Galata Mevlevi Museum Opening Hours 2020
The Galata Mevlevihanesi Museum is open to visitors between 09:00 in the morning and 19:00 in the summer season from 1 April to 1 October. It is closed at 17:00 between 1 October and 31 of March which is considered as winter season. The museum is closed on Mondays.
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 Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum and review the latest situation.
Written by Serhat Engul
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