All activities / Witness / Attend / Konya
Witness / Attend in KonyaTR
Rumi's burial city on the Anatolian plateau, where the Mevlevi order's whirling sema is performed at its source, peaking each December at the Seb-i Arus commemoration.
Scheduled and sanctioned by T.C. Kultur ve Turizm Bakanligi (Ministry of Culture and Tourism).
Dates & details verified against: National tourism board ↗
Why here
The whirling dervishes exist in stage versions across Turkey, but Konya is the source: Rumi is buried here, the Mevlevi order formed here, and the sema ceremony, UNESCO-inscribed intangible heritage, is performed in its devotional context at the Mevlana Cultural Center, weekly through the year and at full intensity during Seb-i Arus, the December commemoration of Rumi's death that the tradition calls his wedding night. The 2026 edition, the 753rd, runs December 7 to 17, a full evening liturgy of Quran recitation, Sufi music, and the turning itself. It is a ceremony you attend rather than a show you watch, and the difference is the point.
Best months
The festival runs December 7 to 17 annually, with the final night selling out four to six months ahead through the official channels; weekly sema performances run year-round for flexible dates. December on the plateau is properly cold.
Getting there & around
High-speed rail reaches Konya from Istanbul and Ankara, or fly to Konya (KYA). Book festival tickets months ahead; dress warmly and conservatively for the ceremony.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (1)
Seb-i Arus (Ministry of Culture and Tourism)
OrganizerThe ministry's official festival operation, publishing the December program and ticket channels for the Mevlana Cultural Center ceremonies.