3. Göreme: Whirling Dervishes Ceremony in Cappadocia
Get a taste of local culture during a whirling dervish show and Sema ceremony with this tour from Göreme. Admire master whirling dervish performers and Mevlevi musicians. Travel on a mysterious journey into the past with this a dance and costumes that contain deep symbolic meaning.
Be picked up from the comfort of your accommodation in Göreme and relax on the drive to the performance venue. Get a booklet in different languages at the entrance which will help explain the full meaning of this performance.
Watch as 1 main whirling dervish is accompanied by 5 whirling dervishes and 5 musicians. Experience the entire 7 part ceremony which begins with a Na't-i Sharif praising the prophets and Allah, who created them.
Next, hear a kudum instrument blown which represents the creation of the universe. Listen as a reed nay flute is played representing the life-giving Nefha (Devine). Move to the period of Sultan Veled with a circular march of whirling dervishes with a peşrev (entrance music in classical Turkish music).
See the figures salute each other three times to greet the hidden soul. Experience the 4 Salams (greetings) of the Sema ceremony. Observe as the dancer removes his black cardigan and the whirling dervish is symbolically born.
Witness the dancer's representation of his oneness with Allah through his gestures and see him kiss Sheikh Efendi's hand. After the Semâ Mukabala performance, see the dancers retreat to their cells silently for meditation.
In the 6th part of the Sema ceremony, discover symbolically how Allah's face is wherever you turn and hear the recitation of the Qur'an. Finally, end the the Sema ceremony with a recitation of a Fatiha prayer for the souls of all prophets, martyrs, believers, and a prayer for the state.
End your experience with a taste of puerperal sherbet followed by a 10-minute slide show about the formation of the fairy chimneys and information about the Cappadocia region. Return to your accommodation in Göreme.
