EskiÅŸehir Mevlevihane
Cultural Association and Foundation
Visit us at KurÅŸunlu Library, open everyday between 13.00-17.00 (except on public holidays) or email yk@emev.org
In 2005, THE MEVLEVI SEMA CEREMONY was appointed by UNESCO, as
the MASTERPIECE OF ORAL & INTANGIBLE HERITAGE OF HUMANITY
In the cultural history of Anatolia, 13th century was a period of social structuring in which various confraternities began to be organized on the foundations of Islamic teachings. The foundations of Mevlevism is based on Rumi's teachings through Kur'an, the Islamic Holy Book.
Mevlâna Celâleddin-i Rûmi (1207-1273)
The year of 2023 is the 750th year of Rûmi's union wth God and has been announced as "The Year of Rumi".
The Story
Mevlâna Celâleddin-i Rûmi's family emigrated from Balkh (todays Afghanistan) to Konya (Turkiye), the capitol of Seljuk Empire, while fleeing from the Mongols, around 1215. An acclaimed Islamic scholar, later renowned as a master (Mevlâna), Rûmi's masterpiece "The Mesnevi", as well as his exquisite poetry and words of wisdom were translated into many languages.
His teachings advocated tolerance, acceptance, reason, goodwill, charity and awareness derived from The Kur'an and the love for God. The Mevlevi Order (known as the whirling dervishes) was later organized by his son Sultan Veled in Konya, around Rûmi's teachings.
EskiÅŸehir Mevlevi Order was founded around 1572, consisting of a mosque, a hall for Sema Ceremony, an elementary school (now KurÅŸunlu Library), dervish cells, ceremonial kitchen (matbah), guest rooms (hanigâh), storage & soup kitchen (imarethâne) and an inn (caravansarai). KurÅŸunlu Mosque was built in 1525 under the auspices of Mustafa Pasha, grand vizier of Sultan Sulaiman the Magnificient. Mustafa Pasha was known as a Mevlevi and the inscription above the entrance of the mosque pays tribute to him.
EskiÅŸehir Mevlevihane was an "âsithane" equipped to train dervishes during their 1001 days of service and seclusion. There were about 140 Mevlevi Lodges across the Ottoman Empire serving until 1925, when all sects were closed down by law, after the establishment of the Turkish Republic.
The Mevlevihane was re-established by the descendants of the last Sheik (Bahaeddin Dede) in 2006, as a cultural association and in 2019 as a foundation. 20th line descendant of Rûmi, Dr. Berna Chelebi Åžener resides in EskiÅŸehir and is Vice Chair of EskiÅŸehir Mevlevihane Cultural Association and EskiÅŸehir Mevlevihane Culture and Education Foundation. The concept of "Chelebi" implies to the descendants of Rûmi.
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EskiÅŸehir Mevlevihane
birds eye view of EskiÅŸehir Mevlevihane
KurÅŸunlu Library: open everyday 13.00-17.00
Sema Ceremony Hall
KurÅŸunlu Mosque
Interior of the KurÅŸunlu Library
Sema Ceremony
With rules of conduct and decorum, Mevlevi Sema Ceremony and its music is one of the most continous traditions of art music in the world and is possibly a unique example, composed for a sacred ritual (Sema Ceremony or Mevlevi Âyin-i Åžerifi).