Mevlana Museum (Shrine of Rumi), Konya
Mevlana Museum and Mausoleum in Konya. Photo © Sacredsites.com.
Towers and Green Dome of the shrine/museum. Photo © Dick Osseman.
Entrance to the Mevlana Museum (left). Photo © Dick Osseman.
The tomb of Mevlana, revered by pilgrims. Photo © Dick Osseman.
Wax figures of Sufi dervishes in the museum. Photo © Dick Osseman.
An ancient manuscript of the Qu'ran. Photo © Dick Osseman.
Graveyard next to the Green Mausoleum. Photo © Dick Osseman.
The Mevlana Museum (Mevlana Müzesi), also known as the Green Mausoleum or Green Dome, is the original lodge of the Mevlevi Whirling Dervishes, a mystical Sufi Muslim group. It containes the tomb and shrine of the Mevlana, or Rumi, which remains an important place of pilgrimage.
History
Sultan 'Ala' al-Din Kayqubad, the Seljuk sultan who had invited Mevlana to Konya, offered his rose garden as a fitting place to bury Baha' ud-Din Walad (or Bahaeddin Veled), the father of Mevlana, when he died in 1231. When Mevlana himself died on December 17, 1273, he was buried next to his father.
Mevlana's successor Hüsamettin Çelebi built a mausoleum (Kubbe-i-Hadra) over the grave of his master. The Seljuk construction, under architect Behrettin Tebrizli, was finished in 1274. Gürcü Hatun, the wife of the Seljuk Emir Suleyman Pervane, and Emir Alameddin Kayser funded the construction.
The cylindrical drum of the of the dome originally rested on four pillars. The conical dome is covered with turquoise faience. Several sections were added until 1854. Selim I decorated the interior and performed the woodcarving of the catafalques.
A decree by Ataturk in September 1925 dissolved all Sufi brotherhoods in Turkey. On April 6, 1926, another decree ordered that the Mevlana mausoleum and dervish lodge be turned into a museum. The museum opened on March 2, 1927.
Special permission granted by the Turkish government in 1954 allowed the Mawlawi dervishes of Konya to perform their ritual dances for tourists for two weeks each year. Despite government opposition the order has continued to exist in Turkey as a religious body. The tomb of Rumi, although officially part of a museum, attracts a steady stream of pilgrims.
What to See
The dervish lodge (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. His epitaph reads: "Do not seek our tombs on this earth - our tombs are in the hearts of the enlightened."
The mausoleum room is highly ornamented with Islamic script and enameled reliefs, 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
| Location: | Konya, at the opposite end of Alaaeddin Caddesi. |
| 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 this has hard floors rather than the usual carpet, so wear socks. |
| Tip: | Overnight groups schedule their visit for first thing in the morning, so independent travelers may wish to arrive later in the day. |
Travel Resources
- Konya Map - our interactive city map plus links to more maps
- Konya Hotel Reviews - unbiased reviews from fellow travelers
- Konya Travel Forum - tips, answers and advice on Konya tourism
Article Sources
- Mevlana Museum - Wikipedia (some text used under GFDL)
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of the Mevlana Museum. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Konya Map or get our free Google Earth download.
