Galata - Istanbul For 91 Days

Whirling Dervishes at the Galata Mevlevihanesi

With their heads slightly tilted, arms raised in exaltation and spinning in graceful circles, the whirling sufi dervishes are among the most enduring images of Turkey. Istanbul boasts a number of places in which to catch a ceremony, but we chose to attend the twice-monthly performance in the Galata Mevlevihanesi; the city's oldest tekke.

The Jewish Museum and Kamondo Steps

Under the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul was one of the world's great ethnic smorgasbords. Greek, Armenian, Albanian and Turk all got along relatively well and lived peaceably, if not equally, under Ottoman law. So it shouldn't be surprising to learn that Jews fleeing persecution in Europe found a permanent home here, and have long been part of the city's cultural fabric.