Hodjapasha Culture Center – Rhytm of the Dance and Belly-Dancing Show

Hodjapasha Dance Theatre, restored former Ottoman hamam in the 15th century also hosts high-quality performances of Turkish folk and belly dances on every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday evenings at 21:00 (9pm) since 2008. The full performance lasts roughly 1 hour.

Turkey is widely known for its colorful, rhythmic, elegant, stylish and traditional folk dances, which varies according to the region. Be enticed by Turkish folklore dances from different regions of Anatolia. An exhibit in the foyer outlines the 10,000-year history of dance in Turkey. Just to name a few:

Halay, the most popular folk dance particularly in the eastern and southeastern Anatolia regions. Origins stretch right back to old Turkish mythology and its shamanistic roots in Central Asia. Performed along with an upbeat rhythm consisting of drums and a shepher’s pipe. Extremely similar to the Greek Sirtaki or the Arabic Dabke.. Zeybek is western and southern Anatolian folk dance represents symbol of courage and heroism of irregular militia and guerrilla fighters living in the Aegean region of the Ottoman Empire.. Horon folk dance in the northern Pontus and Black Sea regions, the melodies are rendered very fast and dancers dressed in black with silver trims.

Hint: Before or after watching the performance, take a look at Hocapasa Avenue. Just south of Sirkeci Station. From the station, walk south uphill on Ankara Caddesi for two short block and turn left to find the culture center and a cluster of small, simple, pleasant restaurants serving tasty meals at moderate prices. There are artfully-decorated, ready-food steam table in some restaurants, variety of dishes prepared in advance of mealtime and kept warm in steam tables. It’s the Turkish version of a self-service cafeteria, and it’s a culinary wonder. Enter, take a tray, select the dishes you like, pay at the cash register, then dine at your leisure. Great place for a fast, easy, delicious, filling, nutritious, reasonable meal. In fine weather, tables and chairs are set out in the small square and nearby streets. The open-air dining and old-time neighborhood atmosphere are pleasan