Cappadocian Sema Ceremony: Ancient Turkish Ritual

Immerse yourself in the mystical Sema ceremony of the Whirling Dervishes in Cappadocia. Experience an ancient Turkish ritual and learn about the spiritual journey of man. Hotel pick-up included.

Duration: 1 hour
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Dervis Evi Whirling Dervishes - The whole ceremony takes around one hour and we offer ‘Serbet’, a religious drink, after the ceremony. Turkish Heritage Travel picks you up from your hotel in Goreme or other towns of Cappadocia half an hour earlier, which will give you enough time to see the parts of the caravanserai prior to ceremony.
What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (if option is selected)
  • Live entertainment
  • A soft drink called Serbet
What's Not Included
  • Food
Additional Information

The Sema ritual symbolizes the mystic journey of a person’s spiritual elevation through affection and their quest for authenticity and excellence. It’s a belief that once a person completes his spiritual expedition, he can cultivate love and serve all beings around him. This evening, you get a chance to engage in a traditional Cappadocian ceremony and…

Location
Motif Sema Gösterisi Salonu
Nevşehir Ürgüp Yolu
Motif Kültür Merkezi (Sema Gösterisi Salonu) Adres: Bahçelievler, Nevşehir Ürgüp Yolu, 50650 Ortahisar/Ürgüp/Nevşehir
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(258 Ratings)
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Luisp616
May 28, 2025
Wonderful, spiritual, and fascinating experience. - Wonderful and fascinating experience. It was spiritual and authentic. The performance was conducted in a very intimate setting. Note that no photos and videos are allowed until the end.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephanseils
May 27, 2025
Extraordinary experience - A very interesting and extraordinary experience! Special thanks to Ozan for the perfect organisation to including transfer and information about the ceremony.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alejandro_j
May 24, 2025
The pick up and drop off... - The pick up and drop off was on time. The experience was great. Everything was very well organized. At the end the person who organized our tour asked if we had questions about what we seen and explain some details. Definitely is not a show and it’s not for everyone, but I personally enjoyed.
Review provided by Viator
Faheem
May 23, 2025
Amazing experience - It was great, we enjoyed a lot. The ceremony was really spiritual and worth trying. The staff were cooperative and helpful. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christina111196
May 12, 2025
Beautiful and enticing ceremony - This was a beautiful ceremony to attend, I felt like I was in a trance as I watched. Everything went smoothly with the hotel pick up. Unfortunately, we had the bad luck of being sat next to a large group of Italian tourists on May 7th which completely ruined the experience for us. Although they remind everyone at the start not to make any noise, no talking, no pictures, no videos and no cellphones, the entire group was talking the whole time and were on their phones, using the flash and taking pictures/videos. It was very disrespectful. Please make sure if you attend, you are able to act accordingly and are able to be present during such events without bothering those around you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joanna_r
Jul 19, 2025
Interesting, but could be... - Interesting, but could be improved if the audience is provided with an explanation during the performance as to what is occurring
Review provided by Viator
Karen
May 28, 2025
An enjoyable hour - Experience was good. Organisation like clockwork. Had a knowledgeable young man as our guide. He was very helpful. We enjoyed it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Vijeys6
May 18, 2025
Great - Was glad to know more about their belief and prayer rituals. Location was easy to find. The organisers contacted us and made all details clear before the event.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grandtour25484789323
May 13, 2025
Fascinating ceremony - The location was fascinating (even though air quality was jot great, got a bit obnoxious at the end). I enjoyed the performance of the musicians and dancers. Maybe as a suggestion you could introduce what we are going to see (for instance the different phases of the ceremony, the colors of the clothes and what it symbolises etc). The leaflet is useful but a verbal introduction would be great.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gurinat
May 12, 2025
Beautiful ceremony - A very beautiful ceremony. Staff and guide was very friendly and helpful. Venue was beautiful and suitable for that type of experience. Would recommend to get to know the culture. I advise to inform yourself about the dervishes and their background and purpose before going there.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $29
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).