Şeb-i Arus 2027 in Konya: Trips from Istanbul or Cappadocia

Şeb-i Arus, Konya's commemoration of Rumi, usually runs from 7 to 17 December, with an evening sema ceremony each night and the main ceremony on the 17th, the anniversary of his death in 1273. The official 2027 programme has not been published yet, so treat 7-17 December 2027 as the expected window rather than confirmed dates. The easiest way in is from Istanbul, either on our Konya day tour from Istanbul by plane, from $431 per person, or with a night in the city so you can stay for an evening ceremony. From Cappadocia, Konya is a road trip. This page covers both routes, how seats for the ceremonies usually work, what to wear in a Konya December, and what to do if the dates do not suit you.

When is Şeb-i Arus 2027?

Rumi, known in Turkey as Mevlana, died in Konya on 17 December 1273. His followers called the day of his death Şeb-i Arus, the "wedding night", because they saw death as union with God. Konya marks it every year with a series of ceremonies in the days before the anniversary, held at the Mevlana Cultural Centre.

What we know about 2027, and what we do not:

• The usual pattern is 7 to 17 December. In 2027 that would run from Tuesday 7 December to Friday 17 December, with the final night on a Friday.
• 2027 is the 754th anniversary of Rumi's death.
• The official programme is not out. The organisers announce the schedule, the guest ensembles and the ticket arrangements closer to the date. Until then, nobody can sell you a confirmed seat for a particular night, and we do not.
• The last nights are the busiest. The 17th and the weekend before it, Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 December, draw the largest crowds and the most visitors from abroad.

If you can be flexible, aim for a weekday in the middle of the series. Hotels near the Mevlana Museum are easier to find, and the city is calmer during the day.

What happens at a sema evening

The sema is the ritual of the Mevlevi order, the Sufi brotherhood founded after Rumi's death. UNESCO recognised the Mevlevi Sema Ceremony in 2005 as part of the intangible heritage of humanity. It is a prayer in movement, not a stage show, and the audience is expected to watch it in that spirit.

The ceremony follows a fixed order. It opens with a eulogy to the Prophet and an improvisation on the ney, the reed flute. The semazens, the whirling dervishes, enter in black cloaks, which they drop to reveal white robes, a symbol of leaving the ego behind. Each one turns with the right palm up and the left palm down, taking from heaven and giving to the earth, while the musicians play. The turning is done in four parts, called selams, and ends with a reading from the Quran and prayers.

A few things that help:

• Do not clap, before or after. Silence is the respectful response.
• Photography rules are set by the organisers, and flash is never welcome. Many people simply put the phone away.
• Arrive early. Security checks and seating take time when the hall is full.
• Read a little Rumi first. A few lines of the Masnavi make the evening far more meaningful.

Tickets and seats: what to expect

Şeb-i Arus has a ticketing system for the evening ceremonies, run by the organisers. In past years, seats were released before the commemoration started and the final nights went quickly. Because the 2027 arrangements are not published, the honest advice is:

1. Fix your Konya hotel first. Rooms near the Mevlana Museum fill up for the whole period, whatever happens with tickets.
2. Choose two possible evenings. If one night is gone, the other may not be.
3. Watch for the official announcement in the autumn of 2027 and book as soon as tickets open.
4. Have a fallback. If you cannot get a seat, the daytime programme, the museum and the atmosphere of the city still make the trip worthwhile, and you can see a sema in Istanbul or Cappadocia on another evening.

We can plan the transport, hotel, guide and daytime touring around the commemoration, and tell you when the official programme appears. We cannot promise a seat at a specific ceremony, because that depends on the organisers' system.

Getting to Konya from Istanbul

Konya is about 650 km from Istanbul by road, too far to drive there and back in a day. Most visitors fly from either of Istanbul's airports or take the high-speed train, which runs directly between Istanbul and Konya.

For Şeb-i Arus the day tour has one weakness: the ceremonies are in the evening, and a day trip usually flies back before they start. If the sema is the reason for the trip, book at least one night. The 2-day private tour is built for that, with a licensed guide, a private car in Konya and the return flight the next day.

Coming from Cappadocia

Many travellers are already in Cappadocia in December, and Konya is the natural next stop. The drive takes about three hours on the main road west, past the Sultanhanı caravanserai, one of the largest Seljuk road inns in Anatolia and a good place to stretch your legs.

Ways to do it:

• Konya and Cappadocia in one package. Our Konya and Cappadocia tour from Istanbul, 2 days with flights, is from $770 per person, and the 4-day Cappadocia and Konya tour is from $778 per person.
• Konya on the way to the coast. If you continue south after Cappadocia, Konya sits on the road to Antalya. The Cappadocia, Konya and Antalya tour, 3 days from Istanbul, is from $1,110 per person.
• Five relaxed days. The Istanbul, Konya and Cappadocia tour, 5 days, is from $1,565 per person and leaves time for both regions.

Cappadocia in December has frosty mornings and short days. Balloon flights depend on the weather and on permission from the aviation authority each morning, so in winter some mornings are cancelled. Our page on the Cappadocia balloon in winter explains what to expect. Cappadocia also has its own evening sema, held in a historic stone hall; our Cappadocia whirling dervishes ceremony is from $56 per person.

Konya by day, and dressing for December

The ceremonies take up the evening, which leaves the day for the city. Most of what you want to see is within walking distance of the Mevlana Museum.

• The Mevlana Museum. Rumi's tomb lies under the green-tiled dome, surrounded by the tombs of his family and later Mevlevi leaders. The former lodge holds manuscripts, musical instruments and dervish robes. It was the most visited museum in Turkey in 2019. Expect long queues during the commemoration, so go early in the morning.
• The Selimiye Mosque, the Ottoman mosque right beside the museum, with its tall minarets and grey domes.
• Alaeddin Hill, with the Seljuk Alaeddin Mosque, at the top of the main avenue.
• The Karatay Madrasa for its tilework, and the carved stone portal of the İnce Minareli Madrasa.
• Sille, an old village a short drive out of town with a Byzantine church, and Çatalhöyük, the Neolithic site about 50 km to the southeast, on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The weather. Konya sits high on the Anatolian plateau and is cold in December. The Turkish State Meteorological Service gives a December average high of 6.7°C and an average low of -2.2°C, with about ten days of rain or snow in the month. Walking back from an evening ceremony, it often feels colder than the figure suggests.

What to wear. A warm coat, gloves, a hat and shoes with a good grip. The Mevlana Museum is a shrine: cover shoulders and knees, and women should bring a headscarf. Konya is a conservative city, and alcohol is not easy to find. Etli ekmek, a very long flatbread topped with minced meat, is the local dish to try at lunch.

Outside December: other ways to see a sema

If the dates do not work, you can still see the Mevlevi ritual.

• In Konya, through the year. The Mevlana Cultural Centre usually holds a sema on Saturday evenings outside the commemoration period. Check the schedule for your date before you travel.
• In Istanbul. Our whirling dervish ceremony at Hodjapasha in Sirkeci is from $43 per person, and the sema ceremony with reserved seating is from $60 per person. Both fit an evening after a day of sightseeing.
• In Cappadocia. The whirling dervish ceremony with hotel pickup is from $60 per person.

For a wider December plan that also covers Cappadocia and the coast, see our page on Turkey tour packages for December 2026, and for the city itself our Konya travel guide. All our Konya trips are on the Konya tours page.

Tours that cover this

• Konya Day Tour from Istanbul by Plane: from $431 per person, Rumi's tomb and the Mevlana Museum in a day.
• Private 2-Day Konya Tour from Istanbul by Plane: from $530 per person, with a night in Konya for an evening ceremony.
• Istanbul, Konya and Cappadocia Tour: 5 Days: from $1,565 per person, the relaxed way to combine both regions.
• Whirling Dervish Ceremony at Hodjapasha, Istanbul: from $43 per person, if Konya does not fit your dates.

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