Les Arts Turcs Tours
Les Arts Turcs Tours
4.5
9:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 10:00 PM
About
Art and Cultural tours and workshops in sultanahmet istanbul Turkey. Whirling Dervish Ceremonies. We specialize in events, organisations, workshops and activities in istanbul, other cities of our country and bring our activities to other countries on demand.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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Address
Neighborhood: Sultanahmet
With so many unmissable attractions within a mere stroll of each other – and all set around the site of an ancient Byzantine hippodrome – Sultanahmet is an overwhelmingly popular tourist destination, and a prime location for visitors to be wowed on a truly epic scale. Beyond the wonders of the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and more, this relatively small area of Istanbul somehow manages to retain an air of peace and calm. It offers visitors a significantly less celebrated but nonetheless pleasant network of quaint lanes and side streets, majestic panoramas of the Bosphorus, and an impressive assortment of accommodation options for all budgets and tastes.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
103 reviews
Excellent
85
Very good
10
Average
3
Poor
2
Terrible
3
Liam W
1 contribution
Mar 2024 • Couples
We had a wonderful time at les arts turcs, we took part in the traditional Turkish printing workshop, and it was by far the highlight of our trip to Istanbul, the master artist Mr fikret was phenomenal, he was such a kind, gentle soul with a real passion for his work. He helped us create a number of prints that we will proudly display in our home when we are back. I would highly recommend this to anyone travelling to Istanbul. You will not regret it!
As a little bonus, his cat Charlie was the absolute cutest!
As a little bonus, his cat Charlie was the absolute cutest!
Written March 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AlexMandel
San Francisco, CA8 contributions
Mar 2020
This company is amazing, highly recommend their workshops! I was stuck alone in Istanbul and after visiting Topkapi Palace decided I wanted to learn about making tiles. After a quick google search I found Les Arts Turcs & Baazar Istanbul and asked if they could accommodate me for a workshop that day. Despite it already being the afternoon they were able to bring a teacher that same evening to give me a private lesson! I was so impressed by their flexibility but also by the quality of the experience. The teacher was a master and they provided a translator so that we could easily understand each other. She helped me make 2 beautiful tiles and even showed me how I could continue making more at home. I am so grateful that I was able to learn the art of tiles on my last day in Istanbul! Thank you so so much, I will certainly be back again next time I'm in Istanbul! Run, don't walk to Les Arts Turcs, you will feel like family!
Written March 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lovely to meet you.. :) Pls come again :)
Written March 25, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Dragan K
Belgrade, Serbia119 contributions
Dec 2014 • Solo
Nurdogan and co. are the best promoters of Istanbul and Turkish culture. They can provide you way to know the beauty of Turkish culture. I wanted to see Whirling Dervish Dance ceremony and they have provided me in the short notice. I was participate original Dervish ceremony which ended with awesome Whirling Dervish Dance. Moreover they provided me transportation from their Gallery, which is on Sultanahmet (close to underground Cistern entrance) and back where I could get public transportation to my apartment in city center.
Written January 15, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
София
5 contributions
Dec 2020 • Solo
Well,nice service but high price. All is nice but in reality I expected more. I’ve known the technology of all process but if I knew what really we will do probably I will not go to this masterclass in Istanbul I would do it at my place not for 55 euro but for 5 maybe even less. I’ve understood that I can do it all by my own. That was nice time,they helped me with all but because of it I don’t feet that all of my works is really mine. That’s like someone’s works and I just were close to it and did smt.
But I will back home and use my knowledges and this technology.
But I will back home and use my knowledges and this technology.
Written December 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JoBoLasher
Edmonton, Canada40 contributions
Apr 2013 • Friends
Our contact with Les Arts Turks, Alp Aksahin, was most helpful and accomodating beginning with our communication over the internet and then in arranging a visit to a monastery on the Asian side for a Dervish ceremony and dance and with getting us passes to a Galatasary soccer game. Alp was very professional in his dealings with us and we felt that the Dervish ceremony seemed more authentic that ones performed in the tourist area of Sultanahmet. The pretalk by a member of the sect was sincere but a bit repetitious. The evening itself was interesting and well run. The football game was definitely a highlight of our trip as Turkish soccer fans are enthusiatic and raucous. Our tickets were not together so we left a bit early to avoid getting completely separated in the crush of the crowd. Hint: don't bring coins to the stadium as these will be confiscated.
Written May 4, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SusanGYoung
Brooklyn, NY88 contributions
Aug 2017 • Solo
On my list of my bucket list trip to Istanbul, was to see whirling dervishes. So I booked eagerly with the company my hotel recommended. And I went, and I was sad because it was a theater production akin to medieval times dinners in the US.
In contrast, THIS- this ceremony was the real thing. First of all, the people at Les Arts Turcs are brilliant, and they gave an interesting and informative talk and q&a time before we left for the monastery. They then drove us out to the monastery and we had seats around the room for the services. And it was a very real service. Kind of like if your place of worship had an area on the sides for people to sit and observe... so there's the community, and they have their prayers and what I believe was likely a sermon and singing, and one young man whirled in plain clothes. And then they broke for light refreshments and chatting with each other. And then the second half of the services was the whirling dervishes in the amazing outfits and a full band playing in the balcony.
I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to have observed their service. The imam seems like a nice person too- he's very smiley and his congregation seem to adore him. The whole thing was fantastic.
In contrast, THIS- this ceremony was the real thing. First of all, the people at Les Arts Turcs are brilliant, and they gave an interesting and informative talk and q&a time before we left for the monastery. They then drove us out to the monastery and we had seats around the room for the services. And it was a very real service. Kind of like if your place of worship had an area on the sides for people to sit and observe... so there's the community, and they have their prayers and what I believe was likely a sermon and singing, and one young man whirled in plain clothes. And then they broke for light refreshments and chatting with each other. And then the second half of the services was the whirling dervishes in the amazing outfits and a full band playing in the balcony.
I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to have observed their service. The imam seems like a nice person too- he's very smiley and his congregation seem to adore him. The whole thing was fantastic.
Written August 17, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Debbie B
Mugla, Türkiye65 contributions
Sep 2012 • Friends
I first met the good people from Les Arts Turcs when I visited Istanbul for the Hidrellez Gypsy Festival in 2010. I toured the classic sites with their experienced and informative guide Alp, including AyaSofya, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar, Egyptian Spice Bazaar. It was fantastic to visit these amazing places accompanied by somebody who knew so much about their history and culture. With Les Arts Turcs we also visited places that are not on the traditional tourist trail, including a very special visit to a Sufi monastery where our hosts had generously invited a few people to watch their Dervish ceremony. This was a real honour and an opportunity to experience this most spiritual of experiences as it is practised by its true observers, not a tourist show. Ozlem and Aytul were our dance teachers for our afternoon dance workshops, sharing with us their impressive knowledge of folk and oriental technique. We all felt our dance technique and our understanding of Turkish styles had improved at the end of the 4 day workshops.
The next chance I got I returned to take the same tour with my own dance students. Alp and I corresponded by email to make all the arrangements and to agree the itinerary. Everything worked well and after booking our own flights we arrived at Ataturk airport. Our friendly driver took us to a fabulous apartment on a beautiful street in Cihangir, just a short walk from bustling Taksim Square and Istiklal Street, and a short tram ride from Sultanahmet. It was great to meet Alp again and he made sure we settled in ok. The apartment had everything we needed, including a beautiful view of the Bosphorus from its terrace. During the days we did the same tours as the ones I listed above (great to go back to those places, especially Topkapi Palace!), and professional dance classes with Ozlem in the afternoon, so lovely to see her again. In the evenings we did an amazing variety of activities – cabaret night at the Galata Tower where we saw folkloric dancers, our very own Ozlem as the star belly dancer, and a hilarious and very talented singer who sang songs in the language of every nationality present, and knew how to make us laugh too! On other nights: roman dancing with gypsies in Kumkapi, back to the Sufi monastery, and an intimate dinner in a fantastic local café. Alp’s organisation was perfect and he knew just when to send a car for us and when it was easier to walk or take the tram (Istanbul traffic!). And he knew great places to eat and drink cay that weren't too expensive. We soon learned to find our way around the easy tram system and the local streets – by the end of the week we felt like real Istanbullus, totally at home there!
Of course we were sad to leave – we had experienced so much in just one week, and all of it accompanied by lovely guides and teachers who made our trip so special. They were certainly more than just a tour operator, by the end of the week they were our friends and we will always be grateful for the fantastic time we had with them in their amazing city. We will definitely come back to do some of their music and art activities next time, as well as revisiting some old favourites, If you want to see classic Istanbul AND really experience the true Istanbul, these guys are the ones I recommend!
The next chance I got I returned to take the same tour with my own dance students. Alp and I corresponded by email to make all the arrangements and to agree the itinerary. Everything worked well and after booking our own flights we arrived at Ataturk airport. Our friendly driver took us to a fabulous apartment on a beautiful street in Cihangir, just a short walk from bustling Taksim Square and Istiklal Street, and a short tram ride from Sultanahmet. It was great to meet Alp again and he made sure we settled in ok. The apartment had everything we needed, including a beautiful view of the Bosphorus from its terrace. During the days we did the same tours as the ones I listed above (great to go back to those places, especially Topkapi Palace!), and professional dance classes with Ozlem in the afternoon, so lovely to see her again. In the evenings we did an amazing variety of activities – cabaret night at the Galata Tower where we saw folkloric dancers, our very own Ozlem as the star belly dancer, and a hilarious and very talented singer who sang songs in the language of every nationality present, and knew how to make us laugh too! On other nights: roman dancing with gypsies in Kumkapi, back to the Sufi monastery, and an intimate dinner in a fantastic local café. Alp’s organisation was perfect and he knew just when to send a car for us and when it was easier to walk or take the tram (Istanbul traffic!). And he knew great places to eat and drink cay that weren't too expensive. We soon learned to find our way around the easy tram system and the local streets – by the end of the week we felt like real Istanbullus, totally at home there!
Of course we were sad to leave – we had experienced so much in just one week, and all of it accompanied by lovely guides and teachers who made our trip so special. They were certainly more than just a tour operator, by the end of the week they were our friends and we will always be grateful for the fantastic time we had with them in their amazing city. We will definitely come back to do some of their music and art activities next time, as well as revisiting some old favourites, If you want to see classic Istanbul AND really experience the true Istanbul, these guys are the ones I recommend!
Written April 17, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa K
Sint Nicolaasga, The Netherlands3 contributions
Mar 2012 • Business
This workshop was well organized by Alp Akhasin. Janet gave us a lot of inspiration and teached us a complete choreography---it`s a pity I forgot most of it. Thanks for all! La Lisa, Bellydance school Shekinah Holland
Written February 7, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AJK1969
London, UK16 contributions
Dec 2011 • Friends
Having arranged a calligraphy class with Les Art Turcs online we arrived at their offices unsure of what awaited us.
We were taken to a lovely studio above a crafts shop very close to Topkapi Palace / Hagia Sofia where we spent a few lovely hours with a really friendly married couple who guided us through our first rather tentative efforts at calligraphy with great patience.
It was so nice to take the early stages of a new skill away with us. But it was equally lovely to have a chance to step very slightly out of the tourist run and meet and talk with local crafts people.
I recommend this to anyone with even the slightest artistic inclinations who wants a break from the carpet sellers and sights. It's a super way to, even very briefly, get under the skin of the city. Just lovely.
We were taken to a lovely studio above a crafts shop very close to Topkapi Palace / Hagia Sofia where we spent a few lovely hours with a really friendly married couple who guided us through our first rather tentative efforts at calligraphy with great patience.
It was so nice to take the early stages of a new skill away with us. But it was equally lovely to have a chance to step very slightly out of the tourist run and meet and talk with local crafts people.
I recommend this to anyone with even the slightest artistic inclinations who wants a break from the carpet sellers and sights. It's a super way to, even very briefly, get under the skin of the city. Just lovely.
Written January 4, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
marared
Riverside, Ca32 contributions
Sep 2011 • Business
Les Arts Turcs offers a unique and satisfying entre into the world of Turkish arts and culture. If you are looking to check off items on your "1001 things to do before you die" list, by all means rush off to see the tourist attractions. But if you are interesting in stepping off the beaten path a bit and want a more intimate experience of Turkish arts and culture than you can get by visiting tourist sites, Les Arts Turcs is worth a second (or third) look.
Conveniently located within close walking distance of Haghia Sophia, Les Arts Turcs offers workshops where you can try your hand at a variety of Turkish arts and cultural experiences. I first visited in January of 2011, as a teacher scouting out opportunities for a class of college students from the United States who would be spending a month in Turkey during the summer. I had one student with me, and the two of us took a marbling class from Betul here. We were both captivated by the experience. The hospitality kindness shown to us by all the staff and the magic of watching painted patterns appear on water convinced us that this was definitely a unique opportunity for the students. We were also impressed by the range of classes offered. We could learn marbling, calligraphy, tile painting, henna, painted miniatures, cooking, dance, Turkish language, music, textile design, and pretty much anything else we could dream up.
In August and September I brought the students back with me. All of them took a marbling class, and they each were able to choose several other classes they liked. A few of the students even made special requests to the team about whether they could learn specific skills they had observed in Turkish culture, and the staff was able to arrange these for them. Among them, at least four people took every class listed above except dance and textile design, and their reviews were overwhelmingly positive. The marbling class was a highlight for many of them. Splattering color onto liquid and then pushing the water into patterns evoked a sense of wonder, and they were impressed with how easily they were able to create something they could be proud of. The cooking classes were also a hit, and the students liked the food they had created so much that we ended up having a reunion a month later and cooking the same things.
Les Arts Turcs also arranges for visitors to attend a sema (whirling dervish ceremony) at one of two Sufi monasteries in Istanbul. We did this, and several of us went back a second time so we could go to the monastery we hadn't visited previously. We had an opportunity to go to a "folklore show" with whirling dervishes later in the trip, and found it interesting to compare between the services at the monasteries and the tourist shows.
In addition to the cultural and artistic experiences, I think one of the things the students and I appreciated the most about Les Arts Turcs was the kindness of the staff and the opportunity to sit and talk with them about life in Turkey and their experiences. I found that several of the students were dropping by the gallery periodically over the month we were in Istanbul during their free time to chat and have tea with the artists, simply because they enjoyed these conversations and the opportunity to get to know people in a context where they weren't being pressured to buy anything.
Overall, this is a fantastic experience, and well worth the time. The consensus of our group was that taking the Turkish marbling (ebru) class was the best way to get started, and would be the recommended activity for someone who only had a few hours available to explore Turkish arts. Classes are arranged for either groups or individuals, and the schedule is flexible.
Conveniently located within close walking distance of Haghia Sophia, Les Arts Turcs offers workshops where you can try your hand at a variety of Turkish arts and cultural experiences. I first visited in January of 2011, as a teacher scouting out opportunities for a class of college students from the United States who would be spending a month in Turkey during the summer. I had one student with me, and the two of us took a marbling class from Betul here. We were both captivated by the experience. The hospitality kindness shown to us by all the staff and the magic of watching painted patterns appear on water convinced us that this was definitely a unique opportunity for the students. We were also impressed by the range of classes offered. We could learn marbling, calligraphy, tile painting, henna, painted miniatures, cooking, dance, Turkish language, music, textile design, and pretty much anything else we could dream up.
In August and September I brought the students back with me. All of them took a marbling class, and they each were able to choose several other classes they liked. A few of the students even made special requests to the team about whether they could learn specific skills they had observed in Turkish culture, and the staff was able to arrange these for them. Among them, at least four people took every class listed above except dance and textile design, and their reviews were overwhelmingly positive. The marbling class was a highlight for many of them. Splattering color onto liquid and then pushing the water into patterns evoked a sense of wonder, and they were impressed with how easily they were able to create something they could be proud of. The cooking classes were also a hit, and the students liked the food they had created so much that we ended up having a reunion a month later and cooking the same things.
Les Arts Turcs also arranges for visitors to attend a sema (whirling dervish ceremony) at one of two Sufi monasteries in Istanbul. We did this, and several of us went back a second time so we could go to the monastery we hadn't visited previously. We had an opportunity to go to a "folklore show" with whirling dervishes later in the trip, and found it interesting to compare between the services at the monasteries and the tourist shows.
In addition to the cultural and artistic experiences, I think one of the things the students and I appreciated the most about Les Arts Turcs was the kindness of the staff and the opportunity to sit and talk with them about life in Turkey and their experiences. I found that several of the students were dropping by the gallery periodically over the month we were in Istanbul during their free time to chat and have tea with the artists, simply because they enjoyed these conversations and the opportunity to get to know people in a context where they weren't being pressured to buy anything.
Overall, this is a fantastic experience, and well worth the time. The consensus of our group was that taking the Turkish marbling (ebru) class was the best way to get started, and would be the recommended activity for someone who only had a few hours available to explore Turkish arts. Classes are arranged for either groups or individuals, and the schedule is flexible.
Written October 24, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I know you organise mosaic workshops. I am looking to buy handmade mosaic. Can you contact me with craftsman?
Written November 11, 2023
Je cherche un boulot (guide, guide conférencier, conservatrice ou) dans un musée ethnographique à Istanbul. et je voudrais une conseil merci
Written October 4, 2019
Please, tell exactly where can take a part to get whirling dervish ceremony in Istanbul?
Written April 7, 2017
Dear Nina,
We have the ceremony every tuesday, thursday and saturday evenings. If you want you can rech us from 00905442201022 for resetvation.
All The Best
Alp
Written April 8, 2017
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