Watch the mystical dance of the Whirling Dervishes in the Binbirdirek Cistern, a Sufi ritual among Byzantine columns and an ancestral atmosphere. Can you think of a better setting? Don’t miss it!
Whirling Dervishes in the Binbirdirek Cistern
In the very center of Istanbul lies one of the underground sanctuaries that preserves echoes of lost empires: the Binbirdirek Cistern. There, among its 224 marble columns, you’ll witness the ancestral ritual of the Whirling Dervishes, a ceremony that has been spinning for more than 8 centuries. Welcome!
You’ll enter the cistern, illuminated by a soft glow that highlights its Byzantine geometry. Shadows will slide across the capitals of this space built in the 4th century.
When the ceremony begins, the outside world will fade away. A master will open the ritual with the naat, a chant of praise that marks the transition between the earthly and the spiritual. Then you’ll hear the kudüm, the deep drum that beats with intensity. And then, very slowly, the dervishes will prepare to spin.
The first movement will be solemn, as they cross their arms over their chest, symbolizing divine unity. Then, as they extend their arms, one hand toward the sky to receive grace, the other toward the earth to share it, the spinning will begin.
Their white robes will open like spirals of light. Did you know that the dervish keeps one foot firmly planted while the other orbits, representing the axis of the universe? Every detail and movement has a meaning!
At the end of this 45-minute show, you’ll understand why the dance of the Whirling Dervishes has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage tradition. Afterward, you can remain inside the Binbirdirek Cistern to explore its corners at your own pace.
