Mevlana Museum

Last updated on December 20, 2023.

The Mevlana Museum (Mevlânâ Müzesi) presents the tomb of Rumi, who was buried in Konya on December 17, 1273.

I was introduced to Rumi (Mevlânâ) shortly after I moved to Istanbul in October 2011. The Persian poet and Sufi mystic quickly became one of my favorite reads. I find his words inspirational and timeless no matter what the subject.

History

Rumi’s mausoleum was originally a functioning Sufi dervish lodge, but in 1926, the newly-formed Turkish Republic outlawed Sufism. The lodge was later turned into the Mevlana Museum.

Entrance

Admission is free (as of April 2023) and it’s open daily. There’s an optional audio guide available if you want more information.

Tomb of Ahmed Eflâkî Dede

First, in front of the complex is the tomb of Ahmed Eflâkî Dede, an author who detailed information about Rumi.

Courtyard

A gate, Çelebiyân Kapısı, is down a path to the left. This was the original entrance to the complex. It opens up into a courtyard with the entrance to Rumi’s tomb and the Semahane on the left side.

Rumi’s Tomb

You will have to put on plastic galoshes over your shoes before entering. Once you pass through the door, photography is strictly prohibited. It’s completely understandable with the volume of people passing through every day, but it’s a bit of a shame because it’s far more beautiful than I could have imagined from the photos I had seen. Since I wasn’t allowed to take a photo, I will post one here from another source. Click here for a virtual tour.

Surrounding Rumi’s tomb are several other tombs, including many members of his family. After the tomb is a small mosque with some artifacts on display. You pass through the Semahane on the way out, which is where whirling dervishes once performed their ritual Sema ceremony.

Dervish Cells

Back in the courtyard, you can see the dervish cells (Dedegân Hücreleri) in the building opposite the tomb and Semahane along with a fountain and some other structures. There’s also a small simple raised section with tombs marked by Ottoman headstones.

Each room in the dervish cells contains a small display of artifacts and a description of daily life for a dervish in the complex. It was very interesting.

Kitchen

The building at the very end of the complex is the kitchen (Matbah-ı Şerif), which contains several mannequins of dervishes in action. One display is of the kitchen itself, another is a group of dervishes sitting around a dining table, and another is a dervish performing the Sema ceremony.

Tombs

The other structures on the courtyard are tombs (türbeler). They’re occupied by Sinan Pasha, Hürrem Pasha (d. 1553), and Fatma Hâtun. I couldn’t find any information about the people buried inside or their significance.