ISTANBUL — During one particularly eclectic afternoon here at the end of June, I watched the whirling dervishes in their serene ritual at the 15th-century Mevlevi Lodge and then dashed out to observe an exuberant gay pride parade marching down Istiklal Street, the city’s bustling pedestrian shopping boulevard.

Despite the large contingent of riot police, the colorful parade — which took place the day after the start of Ramadan — proceeded peacefully, observed with an air of bored detachment by shopkeepers and cheered on by boisterous supporters.

The march ended near the Mevlevi Lodge, established by followers of Rumi, the 13th-century poet, philosopher and Sufi mystic who espoused a doctrine of tolerance and compassion.

It seemed fitting, then, to listen a few days later to Zulfu Livaneli’s “Rumi Suite: The Eternal Day” — an engaging contemporary fusion of jazz, traditional Turkish tunes and other genres. The work was presented on Wednesday during the Istanbul Jazz Festival, part of a lineup of jazz, classical music, film, visual art and theater under the umbrella of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, which brings prominent international artists to the city. (The jazz component, which runs through July 16, includes the pianist and composer Chick Corea and the singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo; the classical lineup — which finished on June 27 — featured musicians including the soprano Diana Damrau and the pianist Nelson Freire.)