Cappadocia Whirling Dervish Show (Sema Ceremony)

I'm not sure if it's for everyone, but I enjoyed the hour of storytelling.

Definitely a place you must visit.

Recording is not allowed until the end of the show, when the dervishes begin performing under full lighting. The show lasted 45 minutes in total. There is a souvenir shop at the exit.

It was a nice experience. You should go in knowing what to expect: a repetitive dance set to live instrumental music. What will make it more meaningful and memorable is to understand what the dance is about, its stages and spirituality by reading the brochure before starting. No recording was made during the performance out of respect for the performers and the audience. There was a guy there who made sure everyone was quiet and he did a great job, which helped us live more in the moment. The air conditioning was so strong we froze, so take a jacket with you. After the show is over, you are allowed to do some recording, then you are taken to a room, offered cinnamon tea, and can purchase optional souvenirs. This is a traditional dance that you must experience once.

Photography is prohibited during the twirling dance; Photography can only be done when the lights are on. Drinks are offered upon departure.

This is a must. Everything about the experience felt authentic.

Go and watch the dance of the dervishes.

Wonderful!

It was like some kind of trance state. A spiritual and relaxing moment. I wonder if the dancer is feeling dizzy. The dance has its own meaning. Read the brochure or flyers provided first. Otherwise, you may not understand the reason behind the spin, the dress, the hat, the music, and other things we may not notice.

Exceptional. A real ceremony.

Good experience, but one minus is that you don't get to choose where you can sit.

A rare and moving experience, the ceremony of the whirling dervishes. Recommend without prejudice or urgency, ready to live a different moment.

It's a beautiful evening

This is a Sufi ceremony that is essentially a meditation and prayer practice. It includes singing, playing instruments, dancing, reciting poetry and prayers, wearing symbolic clothing, and other rituals. The goal is to establish a greater connection with God. It originated in the 13th century, and relinquishing one's ego or personal desires is done by listening to music, focusing on God, and spinning one's body in repetitive circles; This has been seen as a symbolic imitation of the planets in the Solar System revolving around the Sun. This ceremony is one of the most popular things to do while in Turkey. It cost me about 25 Euros. No recording is allowed during the ceremony. I found the whole experience quite spiritual. However, it may be boring for some. I visited this place on April 8, 2025.

The ceremony was interesting. Although the spinning might get a little repetitive after a while. I'll say it's not for everyone. If you expect an exciting show - that's not going to be it. It's more of a meditation type of experience. Worth checking it out if you have a free evening.

The ritual of the whirling Dervishes is quite interesting in all aspects.

The world-famous dance of the Whirling Dervish, which is a religious act. We start by respecting the founder of their order dating from 1200 AD, then we let ourselves be carried away by the music and we watch them turn, gradually raising their arms towards the sky. These performances are astonishing, because turning does not make them dizzy and when they stop, they do not wobble. The music is sung by a specific flute. The session lasts approximately 45 minutes, then ends with a complimentary drink.

Watching the Sema is beautiful; it relaxes you and gives you peace.

If you want to live the experience of seeing real Dervishes, this is your place

Intriguing quasi-religious and cultural experience. The ceremonial aspect including the whirling dervishes is in the latter half of the ceremony. Small opportunity at the end to take pictures and videos - none during the ceremony itself. Don’t clap at the end of the time: it’s not entertainment but a chance to witness the religious ceremony. Not a place to take young children or easily-bored teenagers. Price to attend is circa €27 (as at April 2025)

The show was amazing. The music and dance are so mistique. The show last no so long, and during it we had be kindly asked to be quiet and not to take photos. After show, there was the demonstration exactly to take few photo shots or videos.

A unique experience!

It's nice to learn about dervishes.

A decent environment where Sema shows are held

A perfect spiritual experience offered by light, sound and dance in Semá.

I wanted to watch a dervish show. This was exactly what I wanted. It met all my expectations and I would happily recommend it to anyone who wants to watch a dervish show.

First of all, this is not a show, this is a ritual. You're not going to see people dancing, but people who are meditating by moving their bodies around themselves. It begins with an introduction to the history of the Dervish movement and this is done by an expert in the field. The ritual itself matiex begins with a short introduction of traditional music and finally with the faithful dervishes. The music is of Persian, Arabic and Turkish origin. We loved it, although I would understand that for some the ritual can be repetitive. It is a space where you must be silent, and not talk to your companions during the ceremony. You don't have to clap between one ritual and another. As I said before this is not a show. We think it is not suitable for children as they would end up making noise and breaking the atmosphere. At the end of the ritual there is a round of questions to finally understand the history of this religious branch. Very interesting and I recommend it for all those who are in Turkey to learn about the country's culture.

If you want to watch a Sufi prayer accompanied by live music.

Interesting

Very beautiful show but remember that it is a ceremony, so it must be followed in silence, without applauding, without taking photos or making videos. You can take photos and videos at the end of the show when the dancers will do a few more minutes of dance outside the ceremony. Despite the free information booklet that is given at the entrance, in practically any language you want, it is not easy to follow all the phases of the ceremony. The gift shop is nice but perhaps the objects could use a little dusting.

In the heart of Ottoman Culture

Excellent atmosphere and dervish dancing. A very interesting experience with a cup of tea at the end.

A ceremony dedicated to the heavens, consisting of seven parts; Photography is allowed only at the end of the ceremony.

Dervishes dance here; Taking photographs, applauding and talking are prohibited. This will be explained in detail in advance and you will receive an information leaflet in your native language for better understanding.

Dervish dances it was unforgettable experience.

A rare cultural center where underground city culture is blended with Sema.

Whirling Dervish show. Made for groups

The best dervish show in Cappadocia is here

You have to see this ritual but not as a tourist attraction but as something spiritual, in fact it is prohibited to applaud

A very special whirling ritual.

You really need to experience this ceremony and carefully read the booklet given to you. So taking photographs during the ceremony is strictly prohibited. avoid using flash (sorry for the dervishes). However, do not forget to dress warmly as the place is definitely air-conditioned.

Special experience.

Good experience, very formal but beautiful.

Spinning dervishes perform the traditional whirling ritual. A truly intriguing spiritual experience.

A very motivating mystical and spiritual experience. A small moment to embrace the soul

The experience of witnessing the spiritual practice of dervish meditation was fantastic! A must see

It was a pleasure to witness this whirling dervish show. Mesmerizing music and singing accompany the captivating dance of the dervishes. At the entrance you are given rather complete documentation to understand the Semā and follow the phases of the ceremony live and a delicious tea is offered at the exit. To see if you are passing through Cappadocia and intrigued by this little-known spiritual practice!

The best dervish show

The ceremony was very interesting to see!