7 to 17 Dec 2026
Be in Konya on the evening of 17 December, the anniversary of Rumi's death, when the whirling dervishes turn in the Sema Hall and thousands gather at the Mevlâna Museum, where he is buried.
7 to 17 Dec 2026. Times are approximate and can change from year to year.
The eleven days begin at the Mevlâna Cultural Centre.
Rumi's wedding night, as the Mevlevi call it: the anniversary of his death and the final day of the commemoration.
The Sema Hall at the Mevlâna Cultural Centre is the largest covered sema hall in the world, with seats for more than two and a half thousand. In December it draws visitors from all over the world.
Give a morning to the Mevlâna Museum as well, where Rumi's tomb stands. It closes at five in the afternoon.
At the sema, the whirling ceremony, the dervishes enter in black cloaks, drop them to show long white robes, and turn in four rounds to the ney, the reed flute. They belong to the Mevlevi order and this is a religious rite, so stay silent through it and keep the flash off.
If December does not suit, the same hall holds a sema every Saturday at 7pm through the year, with tickets on biletinial.com.
Tram line 2 links the old centre around the Mevlâna Museum with the cultural centre, and several hotels stand within walking distance of the hall. Pick one of those, and a late ceremony ends with a short walk in the cold. Book as soon as you have dates.
Where to base yourself, and what else is on
Where else to go in Konya, from the Seljuk colleges to Çatalhöyük.
Sixteen days of beer tents and brass bands on a Munich meadow. Get there on a weekday morning and a bench is yours without a booking.
Lima's purple month: a float carried through the old centre from dawn into the night on five days in October.