Mevlana Museum, Konya, Turkey

**Prof. Dr. Sinsi** · 09-05-2012

Mevlana Museum
The Mevlana Museum (Mevlana Müzesi), also known as the Green Mausoleum or Green Dome, is the original tekke or lodge of the Mevlevi Whirling Dervishes, a mystical Sufi Muslim group

It containes the tomb and shrine of the 13th-century Mevlana, or Rumi, which remains a place of pilgrimage

History
Jalal ad-Din ar-Rumi (1207-1273), also spelled Celaleddin Rumi and later given the honorary title of Mevlana ("our master"), was the greatest Sufi mystic and Persian-language poet, famous for his lyrics and for his didactic epic Masnavi-ye Ma'navi (“Spiritual Couplets”), which widely influenced Muslim mystical thought and literature

Rumi's influence on Turkish cultural life was highly significant

Most of Rumi's poetry was composed in a state of mystical ecstasy, induced by the music of the flute or the drum, the hammering of the goldsmiths, or the sound of the water mill in Meram, where Rumi used to go with his disciples to enjoy nature

He often accompanied his verses by a whirling dance

Rumi was a respected member of Konya society and his company was sought by the leading officials as well as by Christian monks

Husam ad-Din was his successor and was in turn succeeded by Sultan Walad, who organized the loose fraternity of Rumi's disciples into Mawlawiyah, known in the West as the Whirling Dervishes because of the mystical dance that constitutes their principal ritual

The Mawlawiyah order, propagated throughout Anatolia, controlled Konya and environs by the 15th century and in the 17th century appeared in Istanbul as well

The complex that stands today was built by Beyazit II and Selim I successively at the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries

After the dissolution of all Sufi brotherhoods in Turkey by a decree of September 1925, the Mawlawiyah survived in a few monasteries in Aleppo, Syria, and a scattering of small towns in the Middle East

forumsinsi

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Special permission granted by the Turkish government in 1954 allowed the Mawlawi dervishes of Konya to perform their ritual dances for tourists during two weeks of every year

Despite government opposition the order has continued to exist in Turkey as a religious body

The tomb of ar-Rumi, although officially a museum, attracts a steady stream of devotees

What to See
The tekke includes a semahane, where the ritual sema or whirling ceremony takes place, a sadirvan for ritual ablutions, a library, living and teaching quarters, and the mausoleum housing the tomb of Celaleddin Rumi, founder of the sect and later awarded the honorable title of Mevlana

The mausoleum room is highly ornamented with Islamic script and enameled bas-relief, and contains the tombs of several of the more important figures of the dervish order

The main tomb enclosed behind a silver gate crafted in 1597 is that of Mevlana

The tomb of his father, Bahaeddin Veled, is upright and adjacent to his son's, a position that signifies respect

The adjoining room, or the semihane, is now a museum of Mevlana memorabilia displaying musical instruments and robes belonging to Mevlana, along with Selçuk and Ottoman objects like gold-engraved Korans from the 13th century

Among the fabulous ancient prayer rugs is the most valuable silk carpet in the world

Quick Facts
Address: Konya, at the opposite end of Alaaeddin Caddesi (about a 10-minute walk)
Phone: 0332/351-1215
Hours: daily 9am-6pm
Cost: $2

50
Dress code: As in all Muslim holy places, you must remove your shoes to visit the Mevlana Müzesi, but here, the floor is bare parquet, so wear socks

Tip: Since overnight groups schedule their visit for first thing in the morning, you may want to stagger your visit to Konya by arriving here a little later

(The end of the day is a good time, as most tour buses have already left

)

09-05-2012	#1
Prof. Dr. Sinsi	Mevlana Museum, Konya, Turkey Mevlana Museum The Mevlana Museum (Mevlana Müzesi), also known as the Green Mausoleum or Green Dome, is the original tekke or lodge of the Mevlevi Whirling Dervishes, a mystical Sufi Muslim group It containes the tomb and shrine of the 13th-century Mevlana, or Rumi, which remains a place of pilgrimage History Jalal ad-Din ar-Rumi (1207-1273), also spelled Celaleddin Rumi and later given the honorary title of Mevlana ("our master"), was the greatest Sufi mystic and Persian-language poet, famous for his lyrics and for his didactic epic Masnavi-ye Ma'navi (“Spiritual Couplets”), which widely influenced Muslim mystical thought and literature Rumi's influence on Turkish cultural life was highly significant Most of Rumi's poetry was composed in a state of mystical ecstasy, induced by the music of the flute or the drum, the hammering of the goldsmiths, or the sound of the water mill in Meram, where Rumi used to go with his disciples to enjoy nature He often accompanied his verses by a whirling dance Rumi was a respected member of Konya society and his company was sought by the leading officials as well as by Christian monks Husam ad-Din was his successor and was in turn succeeded by Sultan Walad, who organized the loose fraternity of Rumi's disciples into Mawlawiyah, known in the West as the Whirling Dervishes because of the mystical dance that constitutes their principal ritual The Mawlawiyah order, propagated throughout Anatolia, controlled Konya and environs by the 15th century and in the 17th century appeared in Istanbul as well The complex that stands today was built by Beyazit II and Selim I successively at the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries After the dissolution of all Sufi brotherhoods in Turkey by a decree of September 1925, the Mawlawiyah survived in a few monasteries in Aleppo, Syria, and a scattering of small towns in the Middle Eastforumsinsinet Special permission granted by the Turkish government in 1954 allowed the Mawlawi dervishes of Konya to perform their ritual dances for tourists during two weeks of every year Despite government opposition the order has continued to exist in Turkey as a religious body The tomb of ar-Rumi, although officially a museum, attracts a steady stream of devotees What to See The tekke includes a semahane, where the ritual sema or whirling ceremony takes place, a sadirvan for ritual ablutions, a library, living and teaching quarters, and the mausoleum housing the tomb of Celaleddin Rumi, founder of the sect and later awarded the honorable title of Mevlana The mausoleum room is highly ornamented with Islamic script and enameled bas-relief, and contains the tombs of several of the more important figures of the dervish order The main tomb enclosed behind a silver gate crafted in 1597 is that of Mevlana The tomb of his father, Bahaeddin Veled, is upright and adjacent to his son's, a position that signifies respect The adjoining room, or the semihane, is now a museum of Mevlana memorabilia displaying musical instruments and robes belonging to Mevlana, along with Selçuk and Ottoman objects like gold-engraved Korans from the 13th century Among the fabulous ancient prayer rugs is the most valuable silk carpet in the world Quick Facts Address: Konya, at the opposite end of Alaaeddin Caddesi (about a 10-minute walk) Phone: 0332/351-1215 Hours: daily 9am-6pm Cost: $250 Dress code: As in all Muslim holy places, you must remove your shoes to visit the Mevlana Müzesi, but here, the floor is bare parquet, so wear socks Tip: Since overnight groups schedule their visit for first thing in the morning, you may want to stagger your visit to Konya by arriving here a little later (The end of the day is a good time, as most tour buses have already left)