Istanbul Dervish Ceremony

It's been almost a year since I had my first dervish dance lesson with Mr. Serkan. The overall experience with him was really helpful. His teaching style perfectly matches my expectations. Or, to put it in better words, prior to the lesson I feared so much that I would feel dizzy, but at the end I could only say that I enjoyed every bit of the session. As a musician myself, I could also draw parallels, and this was an important part to acknowledge. I must admit, I never continued whirling. However, this experience had a crucial influence on my life and especially on my sleeping habits. I had been suffering from insomnia for several years (probably more than 20) prior to the lesson. Despite all of the techniques and spiritual practices I've tried, this lesson has taught me how to trust and surrender. I can sleep much better now! Isn't that fantastic? Last but not least, a special thank you to Mr. Alp from the Istanbul Dervish Ceremony. He had all the patience in the world to lead me through many questions prior to arranging the lesson. A month after this lesson, I also visited Istanbul with an agency. It was through Alp and his good connections that he made it possible for us to attend a live dervish ceremony. Greatly appreciated! Best wishes for your future endeavors.

This friday we attended this beautiful Sema whirling Dervish Ceremony with my friends.. It started in the evening in a beautiful historical building.. The music was very spiritual and Dervishes made their beautiful meditation dance. I took some pictures as a memory and this was a very nice experience for me and my friends.

Few days ago , I was in Istanbul for the first time in my life. Fascinated by the ancient history of the city, I was looking for a place where to attend at a dervish ceremony . Luckily I found your cultural center and I booked my seats.The ceremony has been astonishing: as a musician, I’ ve been particularly moved by the beauty of the music and the grace of the dance. But I’m pretty sure evrybody in the hall has been enchanted by this beauty. Thank you very much and I hope to come back soon!

I had a lovely private class with Serkan Bozkurt who taught me the philosophy and technique of Dervish Dance. It was an inspiring and truly comfortable time understanding more deeply this beautiful tradition.

An authentic experience and a wonderful community. The ceremony is the actual ceremony and not a show for tourists. It starts with a service and prayer, a short break with drinks and a snack, then the Dervish ceremony. They were exceptionally kind to us as we went with our elderly parents. When one of our group forgot socks, they graciously provided a pair (you need to remove your shoes as you do in all religious places). Note, there are steps with handrails leading to the lower floor but everyone is generous and kind. A truly wonderful experience. I highly recommend.

I loved this experience. No special light effects as in Semas for tourists, but pure devotion. This is for real lovers of Sufism. Before the whirling, the people of this community listened, prayed and shared together. I felt privileged to attend this evening, and would love to do it again next time I am in Istanbul.

I really wanted to love this show but it didn’t live up to my expectations and that was mainly due to a lot of interruptions made during the show by a guy at the reception desk outside talking very loud with another men. People constantly turning their head back and everyone looked interrupted and annoyed. Also the sema performance was short, less than 20 minutes and it didn’t feel elevating or anything. It was very touristy and absolutely isn’t worth the price. I’m still on the hunt for a more authentic Dervish dance

The whirling dervishes were truly a wonderful part of the magical mystery tour that is Istanbul.They were transcendent in their beauty and intensity. The setting was stunning in itself and a magnificent addition to the total experience. Professionally produced and beautifully executed, the dervishes’s solemn and joyful clarity of their personal divine understanding was refreshing in these times of increasing uncertainties. The informational area outside the ceremonial area was helpful to understand a tiny bit of this practice and these beliefs.

Dervish ceremony in sultanahmet