{"id":5472,"date":"2026-10-15T00:52:43","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T00:52:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mimarsinanroof.com.tr\/whirling-dervish-show-istanbul-suleymaniye\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T00:52:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T00:52:43","slug":"whirling-dervish-show-istanbul-suleymaniye","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mimarsinanroof.com.tr\/en\/whirling-dervish-show-istanbul-suleymaniye\/","title":{"rendered":"Whirling Dervish Show in Istanbul&#8217;s Old City: S\u00fcleymaniye Rooftop"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Mimar Sinan Roof hosts an evening whirling dervish (semazen) performance on its rooftop terrace in S\u00fcleymaniye, Istanbul. Sessions are at 20:00, 21:00 and 22:00. You can watch while having dinner or hookah. Days and sessions can change, so confirm when you book on WhatsApp: +90 530 911 14 00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a whirling dervish performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A semazen is the person who turns in the Mevlevi sema ceremony. Sema is the prayer practice of the Mevlevi order, which follows the thirteenth-century poet and teacher Mevl\u00e2n\u00e2 Cel\u00e2ledd\u00een-i R\u00fbm\u00ee (Rumi). The turning begins slowly with music and deepens over time. UNESCO lists the Mevlevi sema ceremony as part of humanity&#8217;s intangible cultural heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What you see in a restaurant is a staged presentation based on that tradition, not the religious ceremony itself. Quiet and respect toward the performers are what is expected of the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Session times<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Session<\/th><th>Time<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>First<\/td><td>20:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Second<\/td><td>21:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Third<\/td><td>22:00<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Performance days and extra sessions can vary with season, weather and demand. Say which session you want when you book; the WhatsApp reply is the most current answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to reserve a table for the show<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Message +90 530 911 14 00 on WhatsApp.<\/li>\n\n<li>Give the date, number of guests and your preferred session (20:00, 21:00 or 22:00).<\/li>\n\n<li>Ask how food service works during the performance.<\/li>\n\n<li>You can also use the <a href=\"\/en\/rezervasyon\/\">reservation page<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Etiquette during the performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Stay quiet while the semazen turn, and keep phones silent.<\/li>\n\n<li>Turn the flash off if you take photos; light in the eyes can disturb their balance.<\/li>\n\n<li>Do not step into the performance area or touch the performers.<\/li>\n\n<li>If you come with children, explain briefly beforehand what they are about to watch.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Planning the evening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The show pairs naturally with dinner or hookah. See <a href=\"\/en\/dinner-with-a-view-suleymaniye-istanbul\/\">dinner with a view in S\u00fcleymaniye<\/a> for the menu and <a href=\"\/en\/best-hookah-istanbul-old-city\/\">hookah in Istanbul&#8217;s Old City<\/a>. Arrive a little before your session to see the evening light over the Golden Horn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to get there<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Mimar Sinan Roof is on Fetva Yoku\u015fu No:34F, near the S\u00fcleymaniye Mosque. It is about 11 minutes on foot from Vezneciler metro and about 12 minutes from the Emin\u00f6n\u00fc tram stop (Google Maps, October 2026). See <a href=\"\/en\/getting-to-mimar-sinan-roof-from-sultanahmet-eminonu-sirkeci-karakoy\/\">getting to Mimar Sinan Roof<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is there a charge for the whirling dervish show?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask about the cost and table terms when you book on WhatsApp. We do not list a price here because it can change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long is the performance?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask for the current duration when you book. There are three sessions, so you can choose the time that suits you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is the show held every day?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Days and times can change. Confirm on WhatsApp before you come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I eat during the show?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The show is watched from tables on the rooftop terrace. Ask how service runs during the performance when you reserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Information as of October 2026.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whirling dervish (semazen) show in S\u00fcleymaniye, Istanbul: 20:00, 21:00 and 22:00 sessions, booking, etiquette and directions to the rooftop terrace.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4894,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[72,70,71],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aksam-yemegi","category-istanbul-manzara-rehberi","category-suleymaniye-ve-tarihi-yarimada"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mimarsinanroof.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mimarsinanroof.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mimarsinanroof.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mimarsinanroof.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mimarsinanroof.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5472"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mimarsinanroof.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5472\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mimarsinanroof.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mimarsinanroof.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mimarsinanroof.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mimarsinanroof.com.tr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}