3 Best Performing Arts in Istanbul, 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.

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.

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.