Traditional Whirling Dervish Ceremony in Pamukkale
About this activity
Highlights
- Authentic Sufi Dance Performance
- Cultural Immersion in Pamukkale
- Traditional Music and Rituals
- Historic Venue Setting
- Engaging Local Traditions
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Traditional Whirling Dervish Ceremony
- Cultural Performance
- Local Refreshments
- Transportation to Venue
Itinerary
The Pamukkale Dervish Show takes place during the evening. A comfortable vehicle will pick you up from your hotel and drive you towards the place where the ceremony takes place. The show is performed in a village called Karahayit, which is situated at a close distance.
The Dervishes are Sufi Muslims who are famous by their extreme lifestyle that includes poverty and austerity. These elements are necessary for them in order to accomplish their ultimate life goal which is to desert their ego. Mysticism and spirituality are some of the features characterizing Dervishes and their ceremony.The Pamukkale Dervishes Ceremony lasts for approximately one hour. The show is presenting the stages that Dervishes implement in order to reach God, which is their ultimate value in life. The show starts with a prayer and then the master Dervish indicates the places that Dervishes should take. Once the Dervishes take their positions, the Circling of Veled starts and this dance is a symbolization of the resurrection from the grave.The Dervishes’ costume is featuring some symbolization as well. The cloak shows the grave and the hat symbolized the gravestone.
Once the one-hour show ends, a comfortable vehicle will be waiting for you. Pamukkale Dervish Show finishes by the moment you arrive back to your hotel. Once you arrive at your hotel, you will be full of emotions and impressed by the atmosphere. The Dervishes Ceremony will be for sure a long lasting memory from your holidays.
Important information
Know before you book
- The ceremony is conducted in Turkish; consider bringing a translation app for better understanding.
- Check the local weather forecast and dress accordingly, as the venue may be open-air.
- Be prepared for a serene and meditative atmosphere; the performance is designed to be a spiritual experience.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable clothing suitable for sitting on the floor during the ceremony.
- Arrive at least 15 minutes early to secure your seat and settle in.
- Photography may be restricted during the performance; please follow the venue's guidelines.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Traveler reviews
Interesting Dervish twirling at Pamukkale
We saw the religious Dervish twirling at Pamukkale. Not allowed to take photos until after completion of the religious ceremony, when the 3 twirlers reappeared and twirled for photos. Would have preferred a longer appearance at end for better photos and video. It is a meditative practice where dervishes spin counterclockwise around their vertical axis, while also rotating with other dervishes, in order to reach a state of spiritual ecstasy and connection with the divine. Worth experiencing the ceremony and show. Show lasts for an hour and special tea is served at end
Sublime experience!!
We had a lovely experience at the Dervish. The dervishes were beautiful dancers and invoked a sense of bliss! The singers were very melodious and spiritual. We highly recommend it.
Special cultural experience in Pamukkale
Impressive and Mesmerizing experience that we will remember for years to come. I've heard and watched shows about it and wanted to see first hand for a personal mystical experience. Bartu has helped us organizing it, and made it very smooth by communicating thoughout the booking process. Highly recommend. They do not allow video and photo during the ceremony, but have a special time for a photo opportunity.
Nice Türkish traditional dance
I always wanted to see this traditional Türkish dance and finally made my dream came true. It’s nice to been there once to see it by yourself! Thank you again to Yusuf, the great yet professional staff from Excursion Mania to help me arranged this great show. We actually was going to view it by a night before but they were out of electricity. Yusuf had tried to help me to solve the pick up problem ASAP. I think it’s very important to have an agent which he could be reached all the time when you are in the situation. He even apologized to me but I told him not to, because things happened and it wasn’t his fault anyway. He helped us solved the problem right away and we got picked up by the next day instead. I like how the person sang on that evening which it was so relaxing, soothing that my son fell asleep right before the show!🤣 But that’s alright, under 12 is free and he could view through my videos later.😃. Nice experience and highly recommended. Ppl were nice over there to provide their traditional drink right after the show, and you got the chance to view their souvenir products but you don’t have to buy if you don’t want to. 😉👍🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻(PS. You won’t allow to film during their performance BUT they’ll allowed you to film right after the show with the lights on.)