Whirling Dervishes Ceremony & Cistern Entry Ticket

My husband and I enjoyed the Whirling Dervish ceremony very much. It was a great cultural experience and having it in an underground cistern made for an interesting atmosphere. The reason for giving 4 stars instead of 5 is the cost of the ticket was quite high. Other Whirling Dervish ceremonies were priced anywhere from $15-25 USD, this ticket was almost twice that. It also lasted about 35 minutes, which didn't feel long enough for the ticket price. Still, it was very enjoyable, the tour operator was very kind and accommodating and overall, we'd recommend if you have the budget.

Outstanding! Such a nice welcome from the profesional and cordial staff that operate the show at the door; thank you Emel and Ozler for the welcome and smiles. Not only is it a gorgeous show but you also get to see this beautiful centuries old Byzantine cistern. There are four dancers and the seats are arranged around them so you get a close-up view. There’s also a live mysic mini orchestra. I really enjoyed this spectacular and authentic dervish performance with all of the beautiful columns in the background. Plus, you can explore the cistern afterwards. It’s also nice and cool down there in the cistern if it happens to be a hot day! Fantastic place for photos. I highly recommend the show. I’ve been to a couple of these shows now because I’m fascinated by Dervish and this is my favorite location as far as being spectacular.

+1

Such a beautiful and mystical experience! The atmosphere inside the ancient cistern is incredible, and the Whirling Dervishes Ceremony is both peaceful and mesmerizing. Everything was well organized, and the performance was unforgettable. Definitely one of the best cultural experiences in Istanbul!

It was an amazing experience. The cistern provides an excellent atmosphere for the devotional Turkish Sufi hymns that sets the tone of the whirling. Unless you are fluent in Turkish, it may be very difficult to pick up on the exact lyrics. So you can ask the musicians the names of the songs at the end of the show if you’re interested. Here is a few of what we were lucky to hear: “Solmadan bağın geçmeden çağın” based on the poem written by 17th century Ottoman Sufi poet Ismail Hakki Bursevî, music composed by 20th century Kanun master Cüneyt Kosal. “Ey aşk-ı dildade” based on the poem by 17th century Ottoman Sufi poet Hasan Sezâî-I Gülşenî, music composed by 18th century Ottoman palace composer Sheikh Sadık Efendi. “Erler demine destur alalım” is a 20th century production by poet Sheikh Mehmet Nusret Tura Uşşâkî of the Khalwati Sufi order, and female composer Hacı Tahsine Hanım. This “show” is actually a symbolic representation of the deep and rich Ottoman Sufi culture, which was the backbone of Islamic belief of the Ottomans, from the palace to the commoners.

Everything went well. A very pleasant, intimate experience with few people — the atmosphere in the cistern is something else.

The operator cancelled my tour 8 days before it was due to start. He guaranteed a month ago that this tour would definitely go ahead so I rearranged all my other activities around this. Now they can't be rearranged so I have been denied the opportunity to see something I really wanted to experience. My experience may not be the first time this has happened.viatour was very helpful but ultimately couldn't make the provider honour his word. Very disappointing

The dancers were exactly what we thought. Just as we hoped. But the highlight of the show besides this magnificent location are the musicians. Really talented with local instruments. The singer has a beautiful voice. Activity lasts about 45 minutes. We would have liked a guided tour of the place.