Join us as we go on an 11-day mystical tour through Turkey. We will explore various sacred landmarks throughout the country, visit the burial place of Rumi, learn about the history of the whirling dervishes & be immersed in the Sufi practice of ‘Sema’.
We will travel to 4 different locations and will end in the south on Mediterranean where we will have a 3-day retreat exploring the practice of Sufi whirling and meditation.
Welcome to Turkey!
We will start our journey in Istanbul, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
To really appreciate this ancient city we would need at least two or three weeks… but even a taste of honey is better than none at all!
Day 1 - After arriving to hotel in İstanbul, the day will be at leisure. We’ll have a welcoming dinner where we’ll be able to meet and introduce each other and will enjoy a restful evening together.
Day 2 - The focus of this day will be the Old City of Istanbul. We have compiled a list of places to visit, such as the Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Suleymania Mosque, a walkthrough of the Grand Bazaar & a scattering of little Sufi gems in between. At night we will gather at a small zawiyah for a Sufi gathering with local dervishes.
Day 3 - We will begin the day in Istanbul and will head to the Egyptian Bazaar for some shopping. Then we will walk to the tomb of Jaffar Baba who was a great grandson of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). We will then take a ferry down the Golden Horn, a natural bay that cuts into the old city, to Eyup Sultan an area names after the tomb of Eyup Ansari, who hosted the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) when he went to Medina. There will be many other Sufi sites in the area that we can visit. We will depart from the area and go straight to the train station for our trip to Konya. Upon arrival we will check-in to our hotel and have a relaxed evening together.
Day 3 - We will begin the day in Istanbul and will head to the Egyptian Bazaar for some shopping. Then we will walk to the tomb of Jaffar Baba who was a great grandson of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH). We will then take a ferry down the Golden Horn, a natural bay that cuts into the old city, to Eyup Sultan an area names after the tomb of Eyup Ansari, who hosted the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) when he went to Medina. There will be many other Sufi sites in the area that we can visit. We will depart from the area and go straight to the train station for our trip to Konya. Upon arrival we will check-in to our hotel and have a relaxed evening together.
Day 4 - We will start the day by first visiting the tomb of Shems Tabrizi, the beloved teacher of Rumi, and then will visit the tomb of Sadreddin Konevi, who was the stepson of the Sufi mystic Muhyeddin ibn Arabi. After lunch we will then visit Mevlana Jellaleddin Rumi. After lunch we will then visit Mevlana Jellaleddin Rumi & will have a workshop with Haleh Liza Gafori about the life & poetry of this great poet. The rest of the afternoon we can wander round the local bazaar before attending the evening Whirling Dervish ceremony.
Day 5 - Free day for shopping & exploration of Konya. At night we will have an evening of devotional music with local Sufis in the community.
Day 5 - We will depart Konya early and make our way to Cappadocia stopping in various places including Sultan Han - a restored Selchuk caravansary from the 12th century. We will then reach to Hacibektas where we will visit the tomb of Hadji Bektash Veli, a contemporary of Rumi and someone of great spiritual significance within Turkish Sufism.
Day 6 - Cappadocia is a magical volcanic landscape sculptured by erosion with underground cities and churches and monasteries carved into the volcanic rock. In addition to have the options for many outdoor activities, from hot air ballooning to trekking, we will have an afternoon workshop on the Whirling dance practice with guest teacher Alper Akcay. The evening will be a free evening to just hang out and relax.
Day 7: A short drive from Cappadocia to Özkonak. Upon arrival to the retreat center, we will have a relaxed afternoon and evening together to prepare for our three-day retreat.
Days 8-10: During this three-day retreat we will be diving deeper into the esoteric practices of the Sufi path. This will include Sema (the practice of whirling meditation), Zikr (the practice of chanting and invoking the divine attributes) and ‘Sohbet’ (discourses and spiritual conversations). There will also be some time to explore the ancient underground city and natural landscape surrounding the area around the retreat center.
Departure from Kayseri or Nevsehir airport. Participants are responsible for booking their own flights out of these airports to go to Istanbul or wherever they plan to travel to next.