Why Konya is the best place to watch the Whirling Dervish

Konya is unique in its deep connection to Sufism and the Dervish. Even though it doesn’t feature on most itineraries for Turkey, it’s nonetheless a worthy destination, especially for those seeking authentic experiences.

Konya is THE place of the original Whirling Dervish – the real Spiritual Order from where all other dervish take energy and inspiration. While you may see dervishes whirling in Istanbul, there they are mostly a tourist attraction. In Konya, it’s tradition.

Here’s all you need to know about the Whirling Dervish and why Konya is the best place to watch the sacred sama ceremony they perform every week on Saturday.

The Konya Whirling Dervish Ceremony

First of all, it’s not a ‘show‘.

Many people, even some tour operators and guides call it a Dervish show but it’s a religious ceremony called ‘Sama‘.

The dervish dances they perform in most places around Istanbul (among other tourism hotspots in Turkey) may be just for show, but the one in Konya is a proper spiritual ritual.

The performers are none other than the actual Mewlewī Order! It’s been kept intact over 7 centuries and passed down from generation to generation of Sufis!

Time, Place, Price

• Saturdays at 7 PM;
• Mevlana Cultural Center;
• 50 TRY (~2 USD).

Nowadays the whirling dervish in Konya “perform” (it’s still a ritual for them, more of an art show for the average observer) for the public once a week on Saturday at 7 PM. If you decide to visit Konya, make sure you are there on Saturday evening!

The show takes place in the Mevlana Cultural Center, about a 15-minute walk from the Mevlana Mausoleum and Museum.

The tickets to the Konya Whirling Dervish cost only 50 Lira, which is a bit under 2 dollars.

I’d say it’s totally worth it, considering one of the ‘fake’ shows in Istanbul can cost upwards of 50 USD!

What to expect from the Konya Dervish Show

Inside is a huge Sama hall. It can host upwards of 3000 people. When I was there it didn’t get full and there were plenty of available spots.

The Sufis either play a musical instrument, sing, or dance on the scene. It’s a popular misconception that the ceremony is just the ‘whirling’ – on the contrary, Sama is a ritual consisting of multiple steps with music and dance working together.

The Sufis enter bowing and arrange in a crescent in one part of the floor.

The first to enter is the Semazenbashi (dance master) who puts a red sheepskin on the floor.

The last to enter is the Shaikh (the leader), who walks slowly, bows, and steps on the red sheepskin.

The first part of Sama is a eulogy to the Prophet Mohammed, followed by a flute solo.

Then they remove their cloaks, hug or kiss the Shaikh, and go around in a spiral in what’s called the Circling of Veled:

The dancing continues for a few minutes until suddenly it stops and the dervish form groups of 2-3 on the outer part of the circle. Then they repeat the whole thing again.

All in all, there are four repetitions together called Selam. In the ceremony I attended they were differentiated by using different colors to illuminate the Semahane (Sema hall).

First, it was the white color which symbolizes humans accepting their status as created beings.

Then they go around kissing the hand of the Shaikh, the color changes to purple and they dance the second segment symbolizing the rapture felt when confronted with God’s omnipotent power.

The color changes to green for the third segment representing the transformation of God’s power into love.

Finally, the fourth segment is illuminated in blue symbolizing humans’ return to serve.

The ceremony is always accompanied by music, but no talking. The dervish are silent unless there’s a wajd – a religious ecstasy. Wajd is never faked, so it’s very rare.

During the ceremony, there are minor details each symbolizing something. How they hold their hands, where they stand, how they dance, etc – all of these tiny actions differ and tell a hidden story.

The Sama is part of UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.

While there are practicing Dervish all around Turkey and beyond, Konya is the best place to watch an authentic Whirling Dervish performance because it’s by the original Mevlevi Order.

What is Sufism?

Sufism is a set of practices within Islam that focus on spirituality and mysticism. This article gives a good overview of Sufism.

Sufi practitioners are divided into orders and one of those orders is that of Rumi, a 13th-century poet from Persia.

Who are the Dervish?

Rumi, better known in Turkey as Mevlana (“our master“), was something of a refugee at the beginning of the 13th century.

His ancestral lands were invaded by the Mongols and traveling on a caravan he migrated West until eventually reaching Konya in the then Seljuk Sultanate.

In Konya, he created an order of Sufis that would focus on reaching religious ecstasy. How? By dancing in circles while singing and playing simple musical instruments.

This is the brief origin story of the Whirling Dervish. The order was nominally founded in the year of his death, 1273, by his followers with the name Mewlewī Order.

Konya’s Mevlana Mausoleum and Museum

Apart from the whirling dervish, the other main attraction in Konya is the final resting place of Mevlana. In a way, you can’t appreciate the Sama ceremony without also visiting Mevlana’s Mausoleum.

It started as a dervish lodge and had been that until 1926 when Ataturk ordered that it be turned into a museum as part of his reforms to detach religion from state affairs.

It isn’t a typical museum. It’s more of a pilgrimage site. However, it provides enough information to give you some overview of the Mevlevi Order and its practices.

The one fun fact that stuck with me was that a dervish had to go through 1001 days of suffering (meaning studying the religious practices, dances, rituals, ethics, music, and poetry among other things) and is only then given a cell and the title “Dede”.

He would then not leave this cell for 3 days and after that do 18 services for the Order such as shopping, running errands, and lamp-keeping.

He then finally becomes a hücrenişîn – a full member of the order.

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The museum’s center of gravity is the mausoleum. Upon entering, you can see a row of lavishly ornamented coffins.

Most people congregate at the end of the corridor where Mevlana/Rumi’s tomb is.

The tomb is a masterpiece of art and being a religious pilgrimage site only adds to its glory.

The Mevlana Mausoleum receives many pilgrims and domestic tourists throughout the year. It’s believed that praying to Mevlana’s tomb brings prosperity and luck.

Should you visit Konya, make sure to visit the Mevlana Museum in the morning before attending the Whirling Dervish Ceremony.

How to Get to Konya

Konya is a big city in Turkey and well-connected to other places of interest. You can reach it using:

• High-speed train from Istanbul or Ankara;
• Buses from Izmir, Antalya, Adana, or Cappadoccia;
• Domestic flights from Istanbul.

Check more options and book on 12Go.asia

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Where next? What about Gaziantep, the culinary capital of Turkey? It was decimated in the 2023 Earthquake but is trying to rebuild to its former glory.