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Galata Mevlevi or the abode of the Dervishes (Galata Mevlevi Museum, tour. Galata Mevlevihanesi Muzesi) "this is a museum dedicated to the whirling ceremony of the dervishes, and their culture and faith. Dervishes are Muslim monks, Sufi mystics, known throughout the world for a unique dance, during which they spin and thereby introduce themselves into a kind of trance to communicate with the Almighty. At the same time, the dance itself is only part of a more complex Mevlevi ritual, which includes the reading of verses-prayers, musical improvisation, special outfits, etc. These rituals were banned in Turkey in 1925 for being ultraconservative, and only resumed in the 1950s for the most part to maintain cultural heritage.
Galata Mevlevi museum is a former Sufi monastery converted into a museum 20 years after the ban on rituals. Here you can see unusual architecture, not like traditional mosques, as well as a small museum exhibition of musical instruments, household items of monks, mannequins. In general, you will not see anything particularly interesting in the museum, and, frankly, it is not worth visiting in the first place from among all the sights of Istanbul, but if you bought a museum card, you can visit it for free.
Once a week, on Sundays, there is a performance of a demonstration of the dervish dance. They show not just a dance with a rotation, but a complete ritual, with all its elements starting with a greeting, which may seem somewhat protracted. But it is believed that this is the most authentic performance, and not a commercial performance of artists. If you are only interested in the dance itself, then you can find other places in Istanbul where only dance-whirling is performed for the audience.
🕐 Working hours
in summer (from April 1 to October 31) – 09:00-19:00; in winter (from November 1 to March 31) – 09:00-17:00. Monday is a day off. The performance of the dervishes takes place on Sundays at 17:00, It is better to buy tickets in advance.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
150 lire (3.2 USD, see Turkish currency and exchange rate), children under 8 years old free of charge. By Museum Pass istanbul Card free. Representing dervishes costs 100 lire (2.14 USD).
🚶 How to get there
located in Beyoglu district in Karakoy (Museum on the map) at the end of the pedestrian Istiklal streets. From other areas, you can get here by Metro M2 to the station Šişhane; by historic tram T2 to the final stop; by tram T1 to the Stop Karakoy and further on foot or by funicular F2; by ferry from the Asian part of the city and Kadıköy district to the Marina Karakoy and further on foot or by funicular F2. You can do without a funicular, but you have to walk up. Read learn more about Istanbul transport or see Istanbul transport lines on the map.
And to get acquainted with the sights of Istanbul was more interesting, it makes sense to get acquainted with the city with Group and individual excursions. It is almost impossible to buy on-site tours in Russian, so you can read the descriptions, reviews, and book your favorite in Russian on one of these proven sites:
