Galata Mevlevihanesi

Lonely Planet review

If you thought the Hare Krishnas or the Harlem congregations were the only religious orders to celebrate their faith through music and movement, think again. Those sultans of spiritual spin known as the Whirling Dervishes have been twirling their way to a higher plane ever since the 13th century and show no sign of slowing down soon.

The Mevlevi tarika (order), founded in Konya during the 13th century, flourished throughout the Ottoman Empire. Like several other orders, the Mevlevis stressed the unity of humankind before God regardless of creed.

The Whirling Dervishes took their name from the great Sufi mystic and poet, Celaleddin Rumi (1207-73), called Mevlana (Our Leader) by his disciples. Sufis seek mystical communion with God through various means. For Mevlana, it was through a sema (ceremony) involving chants, prayers, music and a whirling dance. The whirling induced a trancelike state that made it easier for the mystic to seek spiritual union with God.

Dervish orders were banned in the early days of the Turkish republic because of their ultraconservative religious politics. Although the ban has been lifted, only a handful of functioning tekkes (dervish lodges) remain in İstanbul, including this one. Konya remains the heart of the Mevlevi order. For more information check www.emav.org.

The museum was originally a Mevlevihanesi (Whirling Dervish hall) and a meeting place for Mevlevi (whirling) dervishes. The first building here was erected by a high officer in the court of Sultan Beyazıt II in 1491. Its first şeyh (sheik) was Mohammed Şemai Sultan Divani, a grandson of the great Mevlana. The building burned in 1766, but was repaired that same year by Sultan Mustafa III.

Nowadays this former monastery has become a slightly run-down compound with overgrown gardens and shady nooks. As you approach the Mevlevihanesi, notice the graveyard on the left and its stones with graceful Ottoman inscriptions. The shapes atop the stones reflect the headgear of the deceased, each hat denoting a different religious rank. The tomb of Galip Dede, the 17th-century Sufi poet who the street was named after, is here. Note also the tomb of the sheik by the entrance passage and the ablutions fountain.

Inside the Mevlevihanesi the central area is where the dervishes whirl. The galleries above were traditionally for visitors and separate areas were set aside for the orchestra and for female visitors (who were concealed behind the lattices). These days the upstairs area is only for the musicians who play during the ceremony. There are also exhibits of Mevlevi calligraphy, writing and musical instruments in the display cases surrounding the central area. The monastery was slated for a restoration as this book went to print.