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Contact & support · booking help

Two humans, one quiet inbox.

Burak and Nuran answer every booking-related message personally. Burak handles pre-booking and refunds; Nuran handles day-of logistics. The same attention we give to the ceremony, given to the correspondence — which means thoughtful replies within two working hours, not immediate and generic ones.

The support address

Email is the primary channel.

We use email for everything that benefits from care — pre-booking advice, rescheduling, group inquiries, accessibility arrangements, refunds, press. It gives both sides time to think and a written record afterwards. For the rare urgent same-day matter, WhatsApp is the right channel.

Write to us at
support@istanbul-tourist-information.com
Reply within 2 working hours Six days · Tue–Sun EN, TR, DE, FR, ES, AR
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Same-day only · urgent

Doors closing in 90 minutes?

If the ceremony begins within the next 90 minutes and something's wrong — missing confirmation, unsure about the address, companion stuck on the tram — WhatsApp is faster than email.

+90 555 987 65 43

Nuran is usually at the hall from 18:00 onwards. Replies typically within 10 minutes during working hours.

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Who answers your messages

Two people, not a team of ten.

Between Burak and Nuran, you are always speaking with one of two people who also sees you arrive at the hall. That continuity matters.

B

Burak Öztürk

Ensemble coordinator · pre-booking & refunds

Eight years coordinating the Galata Mevlevihane ensemble's public ceremonies. Studied classical Ottoman music at İstanbul Üniversitesi; plays the ney himself, though not publicly. Answers pre-booking questions, handles refunds, reschedules, and writes the FAQ. Works Tue–Sat during the day.

Burak is the one to write to if your question begins with "I'm trying to decide whether..." He will reply with two paragraphs of genuinely useful reflection, not with a canned response.

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N

Nuran Aydın

Front-of-house host · day-of logistics

Welcomes every guest at the reception from 18:30 onwards, six nights a week. Knows every seat, every section of the seating plan, and every musician by first name. Handles same-day issues — arrivals, late messages, accessibility arrangements at the door.

Nuran is the WhatsApp number. If you've just landed in Istanbul and your flight was delayed, she's the one who'll quietly reschedule your seat to tomorrow without making it feel like an imposition.

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Support scope · the honest boundary

What we can help with — and what we can't.

Our remit is the ceremony and the booking process around it. Outside of that narrow scope, we will point you to the right resource rather than improvise.

We can help with

  • Booking changes & rescheduling. Any future ceremony, same week or six months ahead, free of charge until 2 hours before your slot.
  • Refund requests. Up to 48 hours before, automatic. Between 48 and 2 hours, case-by-case with human judgement.
  • Pre-booking advice. Which evening is quietest; whether your child is ready; whether the venue is suitable for your group. Write; we'll reply thoughtfully.
  • Accessibility arrangements. Wheelchair, guide dog, hearing loop, mobility considerations. Email 24 hours ahead and we brief Nuran at the door.
  • Language requests. Programme notes in five languages as standard; German, Italian, Arabic on 48-hour request via Nuran.
  • Group & school bookings. Schools 30% off weekday ceremonies with 7-day notice. Private bookings for entire ceremonies on request.
  • Press & media. Burak handles all press inquiries directly. Photography permission is case-by-case and rarely granted during ceremonies — please don't be offended if we say no.
  • Ethical & cultural questions. Whether the ceremony is appropriate for children. Whether to bring a devout relative. We answer these honestly.

We can't help with

  • Tickets bought elsewhere. GetYourGuide, Viator, Klook and similar resellers have separate refund policies and we don't have access to those bookings.
  • Other venues' "whirling shows." Several restaurants and cultural centres in Istanbul offer shorter costume performances alongside dinner. We don't represent those venues and can't comment on their quality or refund policies.
  • Religious or theological guidance. We can explain the Sema's role in Mevlevi practice, but we're not qualified to advise on personal spiritual matters. For serious religious questions, ask to speak with the sheikh directly — Burak can arrange an introduction.
  • Hotel recommendations. Istanbul has better dedicated resources. Sultanahmet, Beyoğlu, and Sirkeci are all reasonable; beyond that, the city deserves specialist advice.
  • Transport, tours, tickets for other attractions. We're a single-ceremony operation. For Hagia Sophia, Topkapı, Bosphorus cruises, see our portfolio partner sites — Hagia Sophia support, Topkapı support, etc.
  • Translations of Rumi. We have a strong opinion (read the Nicholson, not the Barks) but we're not qualified literary critics. Istanbul's İsam Library has the best Turkish-language Rumi scholarship if you want to go deeper.
Refund & rescheduling · plain language

The policy, as we apply it.

Version 2.3 · January 2026

Three windows. Uniform policy. The musicians are paid per ceremony regardless of attendance, which is why very-late cancellations are the one case where we cannot refund in full.

>48h

Before the ceremony

Full refund, automatic. Processed to the original payment method within three working days. Or reschedule to any open evening, no fee. Written notice is enough — no phone call required.

48–2h

Same-day & day-before

Reschedule free if a future seat is available. Refund case-by-case with human judgement — illness, documented travel disruption, and genuine emergencies result in full refund nearly every time.

<2h

Last-minute & no-show

40% refund is the most we can offer — the ensemble has arrived and the seat is counted. Rescheduling remains possible if a later seat opens. If you arrive after doors close, we reschedule free or refund in full.

The flip side: if we cancel a ceremony (Ministry event, health emergency, musician illness), full refund automatic within 48 hours plus a €10 credit for the inconvenience. Happened three times in four years — all three guests opted to reschedule rather than refund.

Who you're booking with

A licensed operator, adjacent to the lodge.

Istanbul Tourist Information Ltd is a TÜRSAB-licensed travel agency that handles ticketing and audience logistics for the Galata Mevlevihanesi ensemble's public ceremonies at Sirkeci Sema Hall. We are not the Mevlevi order itself — the ensemble is independent, the sheikh leads them, the dervishes are members of a continuous religious tradition going back seven centuries.

Our role is operational: we take the bookings, staff the reception, liaise with the Ministry of Culture, and pay the ensemble for each ceremony. Everything spiritual about the evening is the Mevlevi's. Everything practical — this page included — is ours.

For questions about the Mevlevi order, Rumi's teachings, or the theology of the Sema, email Burak — he'll either answer or connect you with the sheikh.

CompanyIstanbul Tourist Information Ltd.
TÜRSAB licenceA-7812
Turkish VAT3470891204
Registered officeSultanahmet, Fatih, Istanbul 34122
Venue partnerSirkeci Sema Hall · Ministry of Culture
EnsembleGalata Mevlevihanesi · independent
Trading since2016 · TÜRSAB member
PaymentsStripe · PCI DSS compliant
The formal documents

Policy text, kept readable.

Three documents covering booking, refunds, and privacy. Rewritten in plain English in 2025; kept that way wherever the lawyer permits.

i.

Booking terms

What you agree to when booking. Covers the doors-close policy, the no-photography rule, admission conditions, and our obligations if we cancel.

Read terms
ii.

Refund & change policy

The three windows above, formalised. Nothing is hidden — what's on this page is what's in the document.

Read policy
iii.

Privacy policy

What personal data we keep, for how long, and why. Short version: email address, booking reference, payment metadata. No marketing, no reselling, no profiling.

Read policy
Before emailing, consult the FAQ

Thirty-six questions are already answered.

Most pre-booking questions have detailed answers on the FAQ page — usually faster than waiting for our reply. If yours isn't among them, email.

Open the FAQ Skip to email