Whirling Dervishes Perform in Unexpected Venue

You see a picture of the Eiffel Tower and you immediately think: Paris, you see the Statue of Liberty and your mind associates it with Manhattan. As many places in the world are defined by a certain landmark, Turkey is no exception. Blue Mosque, the amazing moon like landscape of Capadocia and, an image of the white clad men, whirling around their own axis with outstretched arms and “Turkey” springs to mind.

Whirling Dervishes of Istanbul's Sufi lodge

Naturally, the discerning traveller when he visits the country, wants to see the real thing.  But, he also wants to know what they are all about.  Is it a folklore dance, a mysterious way to create a trance or something else?

Mevlana Rumi, Sufi and the Whirling Dervishes

To give a short answer to the above question: the dervishes have to do with philosophy, religion, a way of life and nothing with folklore or entertainment.  So, approach the performance, when you have the chance to see it, with background knowledge and respect.

The Persian philosopher, mystic and poet Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi — whose followers and son were the founders of the Sufi Order — came to Konya, a Turkish city in the foothills of the Anatolian mountains,  in the 13th century and was highly revered by the Sultan. He died on December 10^th in 1273 and is buried in a mausoleum..

Mevlana, as he is commonly referred to, taught a version of Islam that puts the emphasis on tolerance, patience, and on attaining happiness through love and the unification with God through constant movement, reflected in the movement of the earth and the universe.

Followers of Mevlana are referred to as the Whirling Dervishes as a result of their ritualistic worship service, the Sema, a whirling, ecstatic dance that lasts for a quarter of an hour and is performed to the drone of ancient Islamic hymns with the followers draped in long, white dresses. The Whirling Dervishes undergo a long and ardent education and training before they are able to perform the dance, which symbolizes the road from life on earth to heaven. The word “dervish” means “doorway to God” and Sema symbolizes a mystical journey that ends in the return as a better person.

Every year, from December 10^th to 17^th, Konya sees the influx of hundreds of thousands of people, visitors, tourist and Sufi disciples alike, to participate in the great festival commemorating  the date of Mevlana’s death. That’s the occasion when you can witness the full length ‘spiritual journey’ of the whirling dervishes, but if you don’t have the chance to visit Konya in December, you can get an impression in Istanbul too.

Sirkeci Gare

The Sufi lodge of Istanbul offers a performance of the whirling dervishes nearly every night of the week. The surprising venue of the spectacle is Sirkeci Gare, Istanbul’s main railway station on the European side and once the final destination of the Orient Express. Within the original station building is a community room and that’s where the spectacle takes place.

Interior Sirkeci Gare. Community room is next door.

It starts at around 7.30 pm and tickets are available at Tourist information kiosks and the travel agency in Divanyoglu/Sultanahmed. There are other places too, you will see them advertised around the most popular places of Istanbul. Admission is TYL 25 (approx. $15) per person. You can reach Sirkeci Gare by streetcar #38 in the direction of Kabatas. The station has its own stop.

At the entrance, small leaflets which explain the Sufi background are handed out, so you can refresh your memory. Visitors sit in a half circle on folding chairs around the open space where the dervishes perform, preceded by their traditional musicians. I was surprised to see, that two of the dervishes were female.The performance in the community room is abbreviated but even so gives you a fascinating impression of what the dervishes and Rumi’s  philosophy are all about..

Photographs are authors own.