Lonely Planet İstanbul Guide

been twirling their way to a higher plane ever since the 13th century and show no sign of slowing down. There are a number of opportunities to see dervishes whirling in İstanbul. The best known of these is the weekly ceremony in the semahane (whirling dervish hall) in the Galata Mevlevi Museum in Tünel. This one-hour ceremony is held on Sunday at 5pm and costs ₺ 70 per person. Come early to buy your ticket. Another much longer and more authentic ceremony is held at the EMAV Silivrikapı Mevlana Cultural Center (EMAV Silivrikapı Mevlana Kültür Merkezi; % 0212-588 5780; www.emav.org; Yeni Tavanlı Çeşme Sokak 6, Silivrikapı; j Çapa-Şehremini) on Thursday evening between 7.30pm and 11pm. This includes a Q&A session (in Turkish), prayers and a sema (ceremony). You’ll need to sit on the ground for a long period. Admission is by donation. Those wishing to have an English-language introduction to the sema , be accompanied by a guide and be taken there and back by minibus from Sultanahmet should book through Les Arts Turcs. For a more touristy experience, the Hodjapasha Culture Centre, housed in a beautifully converted 15th-century hamam near Eminönü, presents whirling dervish performances at least three evenings per week throughout the year. Remember that the ceremony is a religious one – by whirling, the adherents believe they are attaining a higher union with God. So don’t talk, leave your seat or take flash photographs while the dervishes are spinning or chanting.