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
(268 Ratings)
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Bwebster427
Sep 15, 2025
10/10! Beautiful ceremony - Such an important cultural experience to have while in turkey. This tour was the perfect amount of time for my husband and I. Seeing whirling dervishes was at the top of my list for this visit and this performance did not disappoint. I was able to read all about the ceremony in the pamphlet before-hand and it was beautiful to connect what I read to what I watched. The company was super accommodating to my husband and I when we missed the ceremony the day before due to my bad directions 😵‍💫 Would and will recommend this tour to anyone coming to cappadocia.
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Bradenb616
Sep 15, 2025
Great time! - Great experience. Very unique, well organized. Would recommend to everyone if you have not experienced this. Do some research beforehand on the culture and history
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Caroline_b
Sep 4, 2025
authentic and captivating performance - Captivating and authentic ceremony. The background information given before the show was interesting and helped set the scene before the ceremony. Prayers, music and dancing was all fabulous
Review provided by Viator
Herox2025
Aug 15, 2025
Amazing - This experience is extraordinary and exceptional to us, we also enjoy the dancer very professional dancing and whileing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Deborab818
Aug 15, 2025
A must to see event - I loved the Dervish dance. The event has been organized in the details. Everything was organized well. Ozen organized the event cery well.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q6263pmdarrenj
Aug 15, 2025
Very good experience. - Really loved the dancing and the tradition. Ozan, did a fantastic job to guide me and prepare me for the event. Definitely watch again.
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756annalisal
Aug 15, 2025
Exciting! - It was a wonderful experience. I had long wanted to attend the show and it met my expectations.
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Zambetta
Aug 13, 2025
Religious show to see - It is a kind of dance/prayer of Sufism, which is spectacularized probably because the Dervishes need financial sustenance being similar to our monks. In any case, the show lived up to expectations. I liked the cozy atmosphere despite the many people. In hindsight I would do it again.
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Voyage20108928327
Oct 7, 2025
Good - Well organized and recommended for family visiting Goreme in Turkey. Worth spending for as tourist. Recommended for all.
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Vraghave
Aug 19, 2025
Short, cryptic, no photos, professional dancers - Be sure to sit to the left or in front of the singers or you will have your back to the performers for a large part of it. The best seats are reserved for large tour groups. The music and performance was great. It is 45 mins long. An explanation of what was happening would have been very welcome. These are professional dancers, not actual sufis. So I don’t understand why they don’t allow pictures (maybe they could just say no flash if the problem is that dancers would be distracted).
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).