We have wanted to visit the Galata Whirling Dervish museum, but weren't sure where to find it. Directions on the website were murky. We knew it was off of Istiklal Avenue, so we headed up the hill once more (our legs are getting pretty sore in Istanbul...!) We walked the entire length of the street to Taksim Square (we should have taken the trolley...) and saw no sign of the museum. Finally we asked directions (!) and discovered that we have passed the museum several times (including that morning) and it's just around the corner from our apartment....
"Whirling Dervish" is a part of our American vocabulary, usually referring to a person who makes your head spin with their activities, but I didn't know much about the real Dervishes that exist in Turkey and are quite a tourist draw. Dervishes are part of the Sufi sect, an offshoot of Islam that affirms all religions and encourages kindness to all. The "whirling" part has to do with a mystical dance ritual practiced by Dervishes. The museum in Istanbul is full of all sorts of interesting information, and we spent quite a bit of time there. Dervishes seem like a cross between the Shriners (with "lodges" and fez-like hats), the Shakers (ecstatic dance), and the Roycrofters (producing exquisite graphic arts and other crafts.) We bought tickets for a performance the next day in the dance hall (more on that later.)The walking and climbing in Istanbul finally caught up with us, and we spent the rest of the day reading and relaxing!
This morning, Stephen and Jim attended the Anglican Church down the street, and Leroy and I walked up the hill to the Union Church of Istanbul. Union Church is believed to be the oldest inter-denominational and international Christian Church in the world. Worship is held in the "Dutch Chapel" which is part of the Dutch Embassy complex. When we arrived for worship, we had to pass through a metal detector to enter. The chapel was built of stone three hundred years ago and has served as a warehouse and a prison. Five services are held each Sunday, including one each for East African and Chinese immigrants. Two of the services are English-speaking. Almost all of the music was contemporary Christian, which is the case for all their services. Folks were friendly (everyone seems friendly in Istanbul!) and we were glad to be there.
After church, we scurried over the Galata Bridge to the Archeology Museum in the Old City. We managed to see most of the exhibits: lots of impressive sculptures and intricately carved tombs and pottery that have been dug up in Turkey and other parts of the Middle East. We wanted to do some shopping in the Grand Bazaar, but after climbing another hill, we discoved it is closed on Sundays. The Spice Bazaar was open, though, so we worked on our list of souvenirs and gifts to bring home to family members.
The Whirling Dervish performance this afternoon was fantastic. It started with a long vocal piece not unlike the calls to prayer we hear throughout the day here in Turkey (starting at 5:00 a.m.!) and then continued with flutes and other wind instruments that eventually moved the sixteen dancers and their two leaders to begin their ritual of twirling. It was a peaceful and quite moving performance, and it is understood more as worship than performance by the dancers.We have one more full day in Istanbul, then we move on to other parts of Turkey. Tomorrow we will explore the Bosporus by boat!
