14 Best Performing Arts in Turkey

Sponsored by one of Turkey's largest private banks, the six-story, multipurpose Akbank Sanat (Akbank Art Center) hosts regular classical music and jazz concerts, including the Akbank Jazz Festival, held over several weeks in the fall. More than 700 other events are held at the center each year, including modern dance performances, theater productions, film screenings, and art exhibitions.

For outdoor concerts of classical and Turkish pop and rock music, along with dance and other stage performances, see what's scheduled at the open-air theater in Kültürpark. Open May to September.

Also known as AKM, this cultural complex with an exhibition space and several theaters is in a cliff-top park above Konyaaltı Beach, about 3 km (2 miles) west of the city center. It hosts concerts year-round—look for flyers posted around the city—as well as the glitzy annual Golden Orange (Altın Portakal) film festival.

Located near the Lütfi Kırdar Congress Center off Cumhuriyet Caddesi, between Taksim and Nişantaşı, Cemal Reşit Rey Concert Hall is run by the Istanbul Municipality and hosts a wide variety of performances, from classical music, opera, and the occasional jazz and pop concert to ballet and flamenco.

Çeşme's open-air theater hosts a series of concerts by Turkish and international acts in summer.

Located in the basement of a parking lot near Galatasaray Square, Garajistanbul is an experimental venue that hosts an eclectic array of concerts, as well as contemporary dance and theater, and literary and artistic events.

Housed in a nicely restored, 15th-century hammam, the Hodjapasha Culture Center hosts whirling dervish ceremonies most nights of the week. The hour-long event starts with a performance of classical Turkish music before the dervishes whirl. Though some are captivated by the whirling, others may find it excessively slow and hypnotic, so consider whether this sort of cultural experience is your cup of tea. Note that photography is not allowed during the sema ceremony. Hodjapasha also offers a different dance show called "Rhythm of the Dance" that is considerably more lively.

Held annually from September 22--30, the Konya International Mystic Music Festival hosts free nightly performances of mystical music and dance at venues around the city. Performers have come from as far away as India, Korea, and Mali and have included big names on the world music scene, such as Zakir Hussain and Kayhan Kalhor.

The Mevlâna Education and Culture Society (MEKDER) is one of the local dervish groups and cultural associations that holds sema ceremonies at 5 pm each Sunday at the Galata Mevlevihanesi. The ceremonies last about an hour and include traditional Mevlevi music and ritual whirling.

Each December, thousands of pilgrims from around the world descend on Konya for the Mevlâna Festival, which includes sema performances and other events commemorating Mevlâna Celaleddin Rumi. The program, which usually lasts about 10 days, culminates with an intense finale on the night of December 17—the anniversary of Rumi’s death, considered his “wedding night” with God. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the website of the Konya Culture and Tourism Office, or contact a local travel agency, such as Selene Tour, to make arrangements. Be sure also to make hotel reservations well in advance, as accommodations are limited and fill up quickly.

The huge, rather grandiose Mevlâna Cultural Center has a performance hall that seats 2,600; it hosts free sema ;performances every Saturday night at 7 pm. The center is also the venue for many of the events in the Mystical Music Festival in September (free) and the Mevlâna Festival in December (admission charged). Tickets for semas can be obtained at the center on the day of; tickets for festival events can be arranged through travel agencies or the Konya tourism office.

Ballet performances, classical music concerts, and opera (generally in the original language) are staged here, and tickets can often be purchased at the theater on the day of the performance.

This complex in the Maslak business district is home to the Volkswagen Arena, a top-of-the-line concert venue that draws big-name touring acts like Bob Dylan and the Pixies. The bar-restaurant-café-lounge, Tamirane, hosts jazz concerts every Sunday afternoon. There's also an open-air theater, along with various shops, restaurants, and gallery exhibition spaces. The closest metro stop is İTÜ Ayazağa.

Turkey’s largest performing-arts venue, located inside the Zorlu Center shopping mall, has a state-of-the-art, 2,000-seat main theater that hosts everything from Broadway and West End musicals to rock concerts and operas. The complex also contains a small “city stage” for free public shows by up-and-coming local performers, as well as exhibition spaces for contemporary visual art. The center is accessible by metro via the Gayrettepe station.