This is a cultural learning experience, not a show as as many seem to think. You see the ceremony of the Sufi Dervishes of the Mevlevi. On the wall above the ceremony there is explanation of each stage of the ceremony so you can understand the ceremony. It is very interesting and insightful. Respect is needed, such as no photography, no clapping, and no talking during the ceremony, which was ignored by some disrespectful people when we were there. If you aren't into learning about culture and being respectful then don't go as you will ruin it for those of us who are!

The experience was mesmerizing. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to see this spiritual performance . It is unlike anything I have experienced. The displays in the outer room do provide a good explanation of the history & religious meaning. Prior to the performance you are asked not to clap or applaud as it is a religious/spiritual experience and everyone followed suit. I must admit this was hard as one wanted to express thanks for sharing this experience. I would highly recommend.

Serene and soulful, highly recommended for some reflective and inner searching time in the madness and hectic life of Istanbul. An hour of pure peace and harmony

Having been to Türkiye several times we finally got to see the Dervish ceremony at the Hodjapasha cultural centre. This is in the Fatih area and is easily accessible by public transport. If you use Google maps you will easily find the venue. Inside before you go into the auditorium you can see the small museum, purchase souvenirs and learn about the Dervish background, the philosophy and history. There are also some poems you can read as well as the Rumi works. The ceremony itself last for 1 hour, this is a religious ceremony and as such applause are not appropriate. As the ceremony takes place there are projections on the wall guiding you through each part of it so you know what is happening. It is impressive, spiritually refreshing and serene.

This was a very interesting and captivating experience. I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt rather serene afterwards. I recommend this activity.

A whirling dervish show is a no frills religous ceremony. The music is a onstant hum and chant and the dancers twirl in a circle for about 45 minutes. The room was to warm and crowed adding to my discomfort. The silver lining is that you could dose off for about 10 minutes and not miss anything. the dancers were still twirling.

Both my husband and I thought this was a hypnotic and mesmerising performance, which we were very glad we went to. As others have noted it is a religious ceremony and so feels correctly symbolic and reverential do not go expecting entertainment as such I would agree it would help to arrive in time to read the panels before the show starts.

I went with muted expectations after having read some reviews and knowing fully well that it is a religious ritual rather than an entertainment show. In fact, at the start of the show, the audience were instructed to not applaud and everyone respected that throughout the show and after. I felt that we were just observers without any insights into what we were observing other than the fact that it was a religious ceremony. I feel that some explanation at the start of the show would have been much better to understand why the dervishes whirl or how that helps them connect to the almighty. Without any explanation, the show gets boring pretty quickly and 1 hour is definitely a long time to look at the same thing. I did it once as an experience but would not do it again. I also think that in its current format, it can be skipped. Any youtube video would show you all you need to see, that too in a shorter time with no obligation to sit through the whole 1 hour.

I appreciate the religious significance of this event, I feel it needed more explanation to as to what and why they were doing this. There are plaques outside the room, but with so many people, it is hard to read before the show. I think with explanations, we would have appreciated more. It was also too long I think.

We almost didn’t book the Whirling Dervish Experience after reading reviews of it being too long, but we were so glad we did as we felt it was just the right amount of time. As you go in there’s a small room that tells you the history of the Dervish and examples of clothing, free water and toilets. It starts with a 5 minute speaking introduction, 10 minutes of music (which was great), the main whirling, then before we knew it, it was over! No photography or clapping allowed, which seemed strange however it’s good to remember it’s a ceremonial dance, not a show for entertainment. Highly recommend, we enjoyed it as a start to the evening before going out for dinner.

Excellent performance of this solemn religious ceremony. Get to performance about 20 mins early and read the detailed panels in waiting area describing the history, musical instruments and clothing of the Dervish. It will help provide a deeper meaning to the performance you are about to watch. I would not recommend this show for young children. The ceremony intended to be quiet and solemn, no applause, no photos, just be in the moment and enjoy.

Very spiritual - don’t know how they keep the rhythmic dancing up …. A really amazing spectacle. Some of the audience clearly didn’t get it - and rudely, in my opinion, walked out. Do your homework before buying tickets - go for a genuine Turkish experience … but please don’t walk out. It is the highly offensive to the musicians and dervishes

Very special experience. One thousands word I read before about this can’t compare with the feeling of the wind blowing to my face brought by the flying hem.

Hypnotic to watch. Amazing concentration. Please be aware that you can not take photos and it is not a “performance” where you applaud. We were recommended here as it was more traditional and less “touristy” but some people were obviously unaware.

I think those who rated this experience poorly did not research what the Whirling Dervishes are about. A quick read on Sufism is necessary to understand that this is a religious ritual, not a performance. I found this fascinating, hypnotic, and mesmerizing.