Historical Changes and Transformations of the Mevlevihane, One Of the Most İmportant Structures Of the Mevlevi Culture

Ms. Sevtap DEMİRTAŞ, EMAV Mevlevi Foundation

Mevleviism is a Sufism / belief path established by Sultan Veled based on the views and mystical thoughts of his father, the great Turkish thinker Hazret Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi, who lived in Konya during the Anatolian Seljuk state in the thirteenth century.

The Mevlevihane has two different structures, asitane (large dervish lodge) and zaviye (small dervish convent). The Mevlevihane called Asitane are full-fledged structures and their number is around fifteen. Chief among these is the Mevlevihane in Konya called “Asitane-i Aliyye”. This is the administrative center, the burial place of the Çelebils, who are the descendants of Hazret-i Mevlana and of all the Mevlevi Order. The number of small-scale Mevlevi lodges called dervish lodges is around one hundred. Mevlevihanes, which are generally planned as complexes, are generally constructed within a large garden. The Mevlevihane consists of semahanes (ritual halls), squares, mausoleums, hankhane, cells, kitchen, selamlik, accommodation, harem, kitchen, cellar, small rooms and special sections reserved for dervishes. An individual who wishes to join the Mevlevi Order must spend 1001 days of ordeal on this difficult path in order to become a dervish. He then becomes a dervish at the decision of the dedes (religious leaders). The Mevlevihanes exerted great efforts to instil universal friendship, brotherhood, morality and good character into the people. The effects on Turkish culture of the Mevlevihanes, which have amalgamated music and science for centuries, have been significant. Many of the people who were associated with the Mevlevihanes studied in many branches of the fine arts and became prominent in the scientific field.

Mevleviism is a path of love which holds a privileged place in the establishment of love, kindness and grace in all areas of social life, especially in human relations, and has shown significant development in Anatolia, the Balkans, Cyprus, the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa in addition to its centre in Konya. Meleviism in the Mevlevihanes, the number of which has reached 170 worldwide, has inspired numerous works of science and art, and include many statesmen, scholars and artists among its followers in the abovementioned regions.

This presentation will discuss the historical changes and transformations of the Mevlevihanes and Asithanes, one of the most important structures of the Mevlevi culture.