Twirling Dervishes, Taxim Square, and Turkish Take That

Is that the time? We did go to bed rather late last night so a slow lazy start of the day is certainly justified. The Archeological Museum will have to wait to tomorrow.

And now to the all important question - where shall we have breakfast (well, lunch) today? Our Jolly Man’s place from two days ago is a tempting option, but we choose novelty and find a tucked away modest place, pretty much offering a single dish with slight variations - your choice of meat which comes with a standard selection of salads and thin wraps to fill with the above. Simple and yet rather delicious! Good choice.

We’re all set for the highlight of the day - the Twirling Dervishes Ceremony. Sabas insists we get there in good time as its unmarked seating, and indeed the queue has already started forming when we arrive. When the gates open and the sign is given everyone is trying to race for the best seats without seaming to be doing so. We manage to get prime(ish) location and wait in anticipation. 

The ceremony begins, the band in the upper level, the twirlers slowly walk in onto the round theatre’s floor. The only woman is one of the musicians, everyone else is of the male persuasion. Mostly on the older side of the scale, though there are also two or three younger men too, ensuring the tradition carries on. There’s some music, prayer/chanting in exotic tongue, and, walking slowly in an orderly fashion. When the spinning finally arrives it’s short and slow, but effective - with those robes flying around the men’s smoothly turning bodies. It is beautiful to watch, and I can see how it can be a meditative and transportive experience for the spinners. It certainly is for one of them who had a constant grin from the moment he walked in, seemingly oblivious to all else. He was definitely in the zone. Though I have the impression he’s someone who blissfully smiles to himself regardless of where he might be. They walk again, and chant a bit more, and spin again. Repeat. 

All in all I am left somewhat underwhelmed. I guess I was looking at it with a choreographer’s eye, thinking it could be so much more engaging and exciting with a bit of direction, some lighting and, dare I say, inventiveness. Sabas however had a spiritual experience and I need to wait a bit before he’s back with me. They must be getting something right. 

We both need to recover and opt for a lazy afternoon back at the flat. We eventually agree on a playlist that we can both live with and contemplate on the finality of all things and our earthly limitations. I’m reminded of The Circle of LIfe’s lyrics - ‘there’s more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done’. Siesta time.

And now, food. Again. We find another little ‘honest food’ place in a side street, it’s yummy but I’m still hungry and go for a second helping. Our feet take us to the famous (some might say infamous) Taxim Square. There’s a little Ramadan ‘it's finally evening we can start eating’ concert and a little crafts fair. We walk back along Istikal street which seems to be busier the later it gets. It’s a real variety show of a street tonight and we come across a native Indian band, a Turkish ‘Take That’ style boyband, what looks a bit like a klezmer band, and even a drag queen, all strutting their stuff. 

Shall we go for ice cream? Or maybe a nice tea with baklava? Some Turkish delight perhaps? First world dilemmas… Let’s go to sleep, it’s late.