Cappadocia Whirling Dervishes Ceremony

Sufis, known as whirling dervishes, seek to attain love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God. Sufism, recognized as the mystical facet of Islam, was historically perceived in Orientalist studies as a spiritual movement that flourished during the medieval Islamic era, producing magnificent literary works in Arabic and Persian that became Sufi classics.

The Sufi whirling dervishes perform ceremonies known as Sema, accompanied by a distinctive musical style called Ayin. Ayin consists of four parts of vocal and instrumental compositions with contrasting rhythmic cycles, featuring at least one singer, a flute player (neyzen), a kettledrummer, and a cymbal player.

Within the mevlevihanes, a type of monastery, performers undergo 1,001 days of secluded training focusing on ethics, conduct standards, and beliefs through prayer, religious music, poetry, and dance. After this training, they return to their daily lives while remaining members of the order, blending spiritualism with secular life.

During the ceremony, performers begin spinning rapidly on their left foot, using the right foot to propel themselves around. The whirler’s body remains flexible, with eyes open but unfocused, allowing impressions to merge and fade.

In 2005, UNESCO designated the Whirling Dervishes Ritual as an INTANGIBLE WORLD HERITAGE in Traditional Performing Arts. You can experience Whirling Dervishes Ceremonies at Saruhan, a 13th-century Caravanserai in Cappadocia. Caravanserais served as roadside inns for centuries, providing safe rest for travelers and their animals, facilitating economic transactions, communication, and human movement across Asia, North Africa, and Southeastern Europe via trade routes.

The performance starts around 18:00 and lasts 1.5 hours. The Whirling Dervishes Ceremony is priced at 50 Euros per person, inclusive of transportation from/to hotels in Goreme, Uchisar, Cavusin, and Urgup. Due to the performers’ concentration requirements, children under 10 are not admitted. Photography during the ceremony is restricted, but time is allocated afterward for photographs.