Istanbul Hodjapasha Whirling Dervishes Show & Exhibition

Quiet, meaningful ceremony. Don’t expect dancing, fire shies, or the like- it is a spiritual ritual, accompanied by Luce music and chanting.

This is a religious ceremony that is hundreds of years old so don't expect light entertainment. The Musicians and Dervishes performing the ceremony are high skilled in performing this ritual which took an hour to complete. Reading the information at the cultural centre was worth doing as it explained the background of the Dervishes and the meaning of the ritual. No photos or videos were allowed during the performance.

A mystical spiritual experience. Intriguing. Beautiful meditative music. A series of panels provides introduction to Rumi and Sufism. Would go again if I had the chance.

Straight chair without comfort and good music. If you want to know their history. There are information panels.

This is one of the life experiences that words can not describe it. It was mystical, sublime , and beautiful

This was a very moving and spiritual experience. The Whirling Dervishes exceeded all expectations. The entire process was well explained on an independent screen above the dancers and musicians. The exhibition in the foyer is well worth taking the time to study before the performance. Excellent value for money and strongly recommend. Our guide, Omer Faruk went out of his way to ensure we knew exactly where to go for the show and went to great lengths to organise transport to and from the venue.

I was very curious about this experience and I'm glad I had it. It is not a show but a ceremony as they want to emphasize, you can not take photos and videos, you should not applaud .. you are all in a semicircle around this small track, there is a ministage for musicians... the dancing monks are five .. the music is hypnotic, the dance maybe a little less .. may or may not like it but it is still an experience .. I recommend reading something about the history of the Sufi movement first, even just reading the information boards in the waiting room to know what you are going to attend... and I recommend getting tickets online, it's easy even directly through their website, apparently everything is always full!

This is a solemn and reverent observation of a ceremony. It is NOT a show. While poignant, educational, and a uniquely Turkish experience, it is not necessarily entertaining as the "whirling" makes it seem in the marketing.

Went to 5 pm show and had front row seats. Very interesting background portrayed in the lobby so arrive early to learn about Sufism and the dervish ceremony. It is a religious performance so no photos allowed and quiet is requested. Enjoyed the show but did find it a bit repetitive after a while. However that may be why it is considered mystical and otherworldly.

You can't go to Turkey and not see the dervishes.