Unspecified/General

Inside a domed fifteenth-century Turkish bath in the Sirkeci district, the Hodjapasha Culture Center stages performances of whirling dervishes and traditional dance that have made it a popular evening destination for visitors to Istanbul. The building is the Hodja Pasha Hamam, a large double bathhouse built in the years after the Ottoman conquest for Hodja Sinan Pasha, a tutor and vizier to Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, and it served the neighbourhood as a bath until 1988 before being carefully restored and reopened as a cultural venue in 2008. The high domed chamber, with its softly lit walls and the round shape of the old bath, makes an atmospheric setting for the shows. The centrepiece is the sema ceremony of the Mevlevi order, in which the dervishes turn slowly in their white robes and tall felt hats, a meditative ritual of the followers of the poet Rumi rather than a piece of theatre, performed here with the respect due to a spiritual act. On other nights the centre presents a livelier programme of Turkish folk and Ottoman court dances, belly dancing and rhythm shows, staged with music, colourful costumes and projected visual effects. A small exhibition introduces the history of the dervishes and of the building before performances begin, and audiences are encouraged to arrive early to take it in. Set close to Sirkeci station and within easy reach of the monuments of the old city and the Gulhane tram, with tickets sold for specific shows and booking advised, Hodjapasha offers both a cultural performance and the chance to step inside a beautifully preserved Ottoman hamam, a combination that has made it one of the better-known venues of its kind in the city. The building itself is a draw quite apart from the performances, a rare chance to stand inside a grand Ottoman bathhouse and appreciate the engineering and beauty of its domes, its marble and the star-shaped openings that once let daylight fall on the bathers. The decision to preserve the hamam as a cultural venue rather than let it fall into ruin has given the structure a new life and kept a piece of the city's heritage in public use. For visitors, the centre offers an evening of music, movement and spectacle in a setting steeped in history, and the chance to encounter the sema ceremony, recognised as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage, performed with care rather than as a tourist pastiche. Booking ahead is sensible, as the more popular shows sell out, and arriving in good time allows visitors to explore the exhibition and the building before the performance begins.

Type: Theater / Concert Hall

Address: Hocapasa Hamami Sokak 3.B, Sirkeci, Istanbul, Turkey

Website: https://hodjapasha.com

Opening Date: 01/01/2008