Galata Mevlevihanesi Museum

Super small, most of the areas are closed and there is no performance. Skip it unless there is new information. Worth about 5 minutes if you have free ticket with museum pass.

Galata Mevlevi House is the first Mevlevi House in Istanbul going back to the late 15th century. The museum is on one floor and is very small with very few items on display. We also weren’t allowed to go inside the two enclosed tombs on the property.

Incredibly quiet place with a beautiful garden. The museum itself is interesting and helps visitors to understand how dervishes were living during the Ottoman era. This is a spiritual place and well organized museum. We enjoyed our visit.

Interesting museum for anybody who wants information and history about the whirling dervish people. It wasn't at all busy so I felt I had the place to myself most of the time. Interesting house, cemetery and great hall and peaceful garden to sit in to switch off from the hustle and bustle of the area outside.

They no longer perform the Sufi dance at the museum. I was there today, following the information on the website, but they said the information is outdated. The guard recommended going to the Hodjapasha Culture Centre for the Dervish experience.

I had hoped for an introduction into sufism in Istanbul... but there is not much here. The internet says that you can get tickets here for a spiritual dervish dance, but according to the guy at the ticket booth, that doesn't happen.

The Galata Mevlevihane (Galata Mevlevi Lodge) is a historic Mevlevi Sufi dervish lodge located in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul. Established in 1491, it is one of the oldest Mevlevi lodges in Istanbul and was a major center for Mevlevi culture, which is known for its whirling dervishes and Sufi music and poetry, especially the teachings of Jalaluddin Rumi. It’s a key site for those interested in Ottoman spirituality, Sufism, and the legacy of Rumi in Turkish culture.

What a beautiful museum exploring this mystical branch of Islam and it’s influence during the Ottoman Empire. Lovely displayed, ornate exhibits and impressive hall for the twirling. Also right next to Galata so easy to do if you’re in the area and included as part of the Istanbul museum pass

If you want a unique cultural experience, buy tickets to see the Whirling Dervishes perform at the Galata Lodge. It's a historic building that puts on performances every day. Go early so you actually get a seat with a good view. The performance lasts more than an hour and it's interesting, but if you have a hard time sitting still like me, you'll get tired of it after ten minutes. Pro tip: If you are bored of this performance, try to pick one guy and focus on them to see if they make any funny facial expressions as they whirl around.