Whirling Dervishes are scholars that come from a mystical Muslim school of thought and aim to find love and knowledge through direct personal experience of Allah. Sufism, often referred to as the mystical dimension of Islam, was formerly understood in Orientalist scholarship as a spiritual movement that reached its apogee (Nirvana) during the medieval period of Islamic history, with its crowning achievement being the brilliant literary productions in Arabic and Persian that became the classics of the Sufi tradition.

Whirling Dervishes Ceremoniesor Sema is held with a special musical repertoire called Ayin. This is based on four sections of both vocal and instrumental compositions using contrasting rhythmic cycles and is performed by at least one singer, a flute-player (neyzen), a kettledrummer and a cymbal player.

Dancers would receive 1,001 days of reclusive training within the mevlevihanes, a sort of cloister, where they learnt about ethics, codes of behaviour and beliefs by living a practice of prayer, religious music, poetry and dance. After this training, they remained members of the order but went back to their work and families, combining spiritualism with civil life. The dancers begin to rotate on their left feet in short twists, using the right foot to drive their bodies around the left foot. The body of the whirler ismeant to be supple with eyes open, but unfocused so that images become blurred and flowing.

The Whirling Dervishes Ceremony is announced as an INTANGIBLE WORLD HERITAGE in Traditional performing art social practices themes by UNESCO in 2005.

We offer Whirling Dervishes Ceremonies in a 13th Century Caravanserai, called as Saruhan in Cappadocia. Caravanserais were used for centuries as roadside inns where travelers could rest and keep their animals in safe places. Caravanserais supported commerce, information, and people across the network of trade routes covering Asia, North Africa, and South-Eastern Europe.

The whirling dervishes ceremony starts at around 9:00pm and takes about 1,5 hours in total. The rate for The Whirling Dervishes Ceremony is 25 Euro per person including the transfer from / to Village Cave House. As the concentration is very important for the dancers, children under the age of 10 are not permitted at this ceremony. It will also not be possible to take pictures during the ceremony.