# Whirling Istanbul

> Visitor information and reservations for the whirling dervish ceremony (Sema) at Kasımpaşa Mevlevihanesi, a Mevlevi lodge in Beyoğlu, Istanbul. Every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 17:00. Reservations go directly to the lodge; guests pay at the door.

Key facts:
- What: the Sema, the whirling dervish ceremony of the Mevlevi order, held as worship, not as a staged show.
- Where: Kasımpaşa Mevlevihanesi (Kasımpaşa Mevlevi Lodge), Sururi Mehmet Efendi, Keramet Sk. No:17, 34435 Beyoğlu/İstanbul. Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/92yUvNDkbQP71MwAA
- When: every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 17:00 Istanbul time (UTC+3). About 60 minutes.
- Seats: 180 per ceremony. Introduction by the resident sheikh in Turkish and English.
- Getting there: 15 min walk from Şişhane metro station (M2); 16 min walk from Galata Tower; 20 min walk from Taksim Square.
- The lodge: founded between 1623 and 1631 by Sırrı Abdi Dede, the third Mevlevi lodge in Istanbul after Galata and Yenikapı; closed in 1925 by Law No. 677; destroyed by fire in 1979; rebuilt in its original form and reopened on 11 May 2024 (1445 AH). Run by the İnsan ve İrfan Foundation, a non-profit.
- Rules during the ceremony: no photography, video or applause; phones silenced; modest clothing; no minimum age; wheelchair accessible with a lift. Booklets in Turkish, English, Arabic and Persian.
- The Mevlevi Sema Ceremony was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008 (first proclaimed a Masterpiece in 2005). Source: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/mevlevi-sema-ceremony-00100
- Booking: https://whirlingistanbul.com/tickets (English), https://whirlingistanbul.com/de/tickets (Deutsch), https://whirlingistanbul.com/fr/billets (Français), https://whirlingistanbul.com/es/entradas (Español), https://whirlingistanbul.com/it/biglietti (Italiano), https://whirlingistanbul.com/nl/tickets (Nederlands).
- Languages: every page of this site exists in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Dutch, linked with hreflang.
- Contact: the live chat on https://whirlingistanbul.com (every page). The lodge's own site, in Turkish: https://kasimpasamevlevihanesi.com/
- Price: $26 per person (reduced from $29). Reserve online, pay at the door.
- Cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance.
- Next ceremonies: Sunday, 20 September 2026 at 17:00; Wednesday, 23 September 2026 at 17:00; Friday, 25 September 2026 at 17:00; Sunday, 27 September 2026 at 17:00; Wednesday, 30 September 2026 at 17:00; Friday, 2 October 2026 at 17:00.
- Figures above were read from the booking system at 2026-09-19T23:54Z.

## Start here

- [Home](https://whirlingistanbul.com/): Whirling dervishes in Istanbul: the Sema at Kasımpaşa Mevlevihanesi, live dates, prices and booking.

## Book

- [Tickets](https://whirlingistanbul.com/tickets): Reserve seats for the whirling dervish ceremony. Live seats and prices; pay at the door.
- [Tonight](https://whirlingistanbul.com/tonight): Is there a whirling dervish ceremony tonight? The next ceremony, the time, and the seats left, live.
- [Reviews](https://whirlingistanbul.com/reviews): What guests say about the whirling dervish ceremony at Kasımpaşa, from every channel it is sold on.

## Compare venues

- [Best show in Istanbul](https://whirlingistanbul.com/best-whirling-dervish-show-istanbul): Every place to see whirling dervishes in Istanbul compared: lodge or stage, when, how long, and who each suits.
- [Show vs ceremony](https://whirlingistanbul.com/show-vs-ceremony): The difference between a whirling dervish show and a religious ceremony, and how to tell before you book.
- [Hodjapasha](https://whirlingistanbul.com/hodjapasha-whirling-dervish-show): What the Hodjapasha whirling dervish show is, how it differs from a lodge ceremony, and when to choose it.
- [Galata Mevlevi House](https://whirlingistanbul.com/galata-mevlevi-house): The Galata Mevlevi House today: museum hours, whether a ceremony is held, and where to see the Sema instead.
- [Free options](https://whirlingistanbul.com/free): Can you see whirling dervishes for free in Istanbul? What is real, what is outdated, and what a genuine ceremony costs.
- [Konya or Istanbul](https://whirlingistanbul.com/konya-vs-istanbul): Konya or Istanbul for the whirling dervishes: what each city offers, when, and which to pick for your trip.
- [Şeb-i Arus 2026](https://whirlingistanbul.com/seb-i-arus): Şeb-i Arus, the 17 December anniversary of Rumi's death: what happens in Konya and Istanbul in 2026.

## Meaning and history

- [What it means](https://whirlingistanbul.com/meaning): What the whirling dervish symbolises: the turn, the hands, the hat and robes, and the four salutations.
- [Why they spin](https://whirlingistanbul.com/why-do-dervishes-spin): Why whirling dervishes turn, how long they turn for, and how they avoid getting dizzy.
- [Hat and robes](https://whirlingistanbul.com/hat-and-robes): The sikke, tennure and hırka: what whirling dervishes wear and what each piece stands for.
- [History](https://whirlingistanbul.com/history): The history of the whirling dervishes, from Rumi in Konya to the 1925 ban and the lodges holding the Sema again today.
- [Women and the Sema](https://whirlingistanbul.com/women-dervishes): Can women be whirling dervishes? The tradition, what has changed, and what you will see in Istanbul.
- [Glossary](https://whirlingistanbul.com/glossary): Sema, semazen, semahane, sikke, tennure, ney, kudüm and the other words you will hear at a whirling dervish ceremony.

## Plan the visit

- [Getting there](https://whirlingistanbul.com/near-taksim): Whirling dervishes near Taksim and Galata: how to reach Kasımpaşa Mevlevihanesi on foot, by metro, ferry or bus.
- [What to wear](https://whirlingistanbul.com/what-to-wear): What to wear to a whirling dervish ceremony in Istanbul: the dress code for a working lodge.
- [Photos](https://whirlingistanbul.com/photos): Can you take photos at a whirling dervish ceremony? The rule at a working lodge, and why.
- [How long it lasts](https://whirlingistanbul.com/how-long): How long the whirling dervish ceremony lasts, minute by minute, and when to arrive.
- [With children](https://whirlingistanbul.com/with-kids): Bringing children to a whirling dervish ceremony in Istanbul: age advice and how to prepare them.
- [Etiquette](https://whirlingistanbul.com/etiquette): How to behave at a whirling dervish ceremony: arriving, applause, phones, and the silence.
- [FAQ](https://whirlingistanbul.com/faq): Short answers to the questions people ask most about the whirling dervishes of Istanbul.

## About

- [The lodge](https://whirlingistanbul.com/the-lodge): Kasımpaşa Mevlevihanesi: a Mevlevi lodge founded in the 1620s, closed in 1925, burned in 1979, and holding the Sema again.
- [All guides](https://whirlingistanbul.com/guide): Every Whirling Istanbul guide, by question.
- [About this site](https://whirlingistanbul.com/about): Who runs Whirling Istanbul, where its facts come from, and how bookings work.
- [Contact](https://whirlingistanbul.com/contact): How to reach the lodge about a booking, a group or a question.
- [Site map](https://whirlingistanbul.com/sitemap): Every page of this site, in every language, on one page.

## Terms

- [Booking terms](https://whirlingistanbul.com/terms): Booking, payment and cancellation terms for reservations made on this site.
- [Privacy](https://whirlingistanbul.com/privacy): What this site collects when you book, and who sees it.

## Other languages

- [Deutsch: Startseite](https://whirlingistanbul.com/de): Tanzende Derwische in Istanbul: die Zeremonie im Kasımpaşa Mevlevihanesi, Termine, Preise, Reservierung.
- [Deutsch: Alle Ratgeber](https://whirlingistanbul.com/de/ratgeber): Alle Ratgeber von Whirling Istanbul, nach Fragen geordnet.
- [Français: Accueil](https://whirlingistanbul.com/fr): Derviches tourneurs à Istanbul : la cérémonie au Kasımpaşa Mevlevihanesi, dates, prix, réservation.
- [Français: Tous les guides](https://whirlingistanbul.com/fr/guides): Tous les guides de Whirling Istanbul, question par question.
- [Español: Inicio](https://whirlingistanbul.com/es): Derviches giróvagos en Estambul: la ceremonia en el Kasımpaşa Mevlevihanesi, fechas, precios y reservas.
- [Español: Todas las guías](https://whirlingistanbul.com/es/guias): Todas las guías de Whirling Istanbul, por pregunta.
- [Italiano: Home](https://whirlingistanbul.com/it): Dervisci rotanti a Istanbul: la cerimonia al Kasımpaşa Mevlevihanesi, date, prezzi e prenotazione.
- [Italiano: Tutte le guide](https://whirlingistanbul.com/it/guide): Tutte le guide di Whirling Istanbul, per domanda.
- [Nederlands: Home](https://whirlingistanbul.com/nl): Draaiende derwisjen in Istanbul: de ceremonie in het Kasımpaşa Mevlevihanesi, data, prijzen en reserveren.
- [Nederlands: Alle gidsen](https://whirlingistanbul.com/nl/gidsen): Alle gidsen van Whirling Istanbul, per vraag.

## Optional

- [Full text for assistants](https://whirlingistanbul.com/llms-full.txt): the facts, history and answers above in one file.
- [Sitemap](https://whirlingistanbul.com/sitemap.xml): every page in every language, with hreflang.
- [Feed](https://whirlingistanbul.com/rss.xml): the English pages as RSS; each language has its own at /<lang>/rss.xml.