Music & Contemporary Art

Turkish music spans from Ottoman court music through Anatolian folk songs to one of the most exciting pop and indie scenes in the region.

• Turkish Classical (Osmanlı Müziği): Makam-based art music with oud, ney (reed flute), kanun (zither), and vocals — meditative and complex.
• Sufism & Mevlevi (Whirling Dance): The Whirling Dervishes (Sema ceremony) of the Mevlevi Order from Konya — not a performance, but mystical meditation. To be experienced in Istanbul and Konya.
• Turkish Pop: Tarkan (“Şımarık"/Kiss Kiss), Sezen Aksu (the “Diva of Turkish Music”) — mainstream but catchy.
• Anatolian Rock: The psychedelic rock movement of the 1970s — Barış Manço, Erkin Koray, Cem Karaca. Currently rediscovered and cultishly revered worldwide.
• Contemporary Art: Istanbul is the art center of Turkey — the Istanbul Biennale (every 2 years), Istanbul Modern (museum), Arter (Beyoğlu), and the galleries in Karaköy and Kadıköy showcase exciting contemporary art.