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The Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum (Galata Mevlevihanesi Müzesi) is a historic Mevlevi lodge, or tekke, in Istanbul. It’s located in Galata, near the end of Istiklal Street.
Brief History of the Galata Mevlevi Lodge
The Galata Mevlevi Lodge was founded in 1491 by Mihaloğlu Iskender Pasha (d. 1504) on the former site of the Byzantine Monastery of St. Theodore. It was the first Mevlevi lodge in the city and functioned until it was closed by law on October 25, 1925. After being used for several different purposes over the years, the lodge was renovated and opened as the Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum on November 21, 2011.
Visiting the Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum
The Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum is open daily except Mondays. Admission is 150₺ (as of November 2023), or free for holders of the Museum Pass Istanbul. The ticket office is a few steps inside the entrance past some tombs. A ticket is needed to visit the museum itself and access the rest of the grounds. Check the official website for more info.
Features Inside the Entrance to the Galata Mevlevi Lodge
Before reaching the ticket office, there are a few things to look out for.
Halet Efendi Library
Directly to the right of the entrance is the Halet Efendi Library (Halet Efendi Kütüphanesi). It was donated by Halet Efendi (1761-1822), an Ottoman diplomat. It’s completely covered in marble and can best be seen from outside the gates of the complex. The Hasan Ağa Fountain (Hasan Ağa Çeşmesi) is attached to the back of the building.
Tomb of Halet Efendi
Inside the entrance to the left is the Tomb of Halet Efendi (Halet Efendi Türbesi), which was built in 1872. Also buried in the tomb are Kudretullah Dede, the lodge’s sheikh from 1816 to 1871; Ataullah Dede, the sheikh from 1871 to 1910; Ubeydullah Dede, a sheikh based in the Thessaloniki Mevlevi lodge; and Kudretullah Dede’s wife, Emine Esmâ Hanım.
Byzantine Cistern
Just past the Tomb of Halet Efendi is the entrance to a Byzantine cistern. It belonged to the Monastery of St. Theodore.
Tomb of Galip Dede
On the other side of the cistern is the Tomb of Galip Dede (Şeyh Galip Türbesi), the lodge’s sheikh from 1791 to 1798. Also buried inside are Ismail Rusûhî Dede, sheikh from 1610 to 1631; Dedesâ Dede; Hüseyin Dede, sheikh from 1781 to 1782; Sheikh Selim Efendi; Selim Dede, sheikh from 1771 to 1777; and Mehmed Rûhî Dede, sheikh from 1798 to 1800.
Cemetery
Behind the Tomb of Galip Dede is a cemetery. In Turkish, it’s called the hamuşan, which literally translates to “silent house”. Inside are several Ottoman tombs.
Semahane at the Galata Mevlevi Lodge
The actual Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum is in a two-story wooden building. Directly through the main doors is the semahane, where whirling dervishes would perform the Sema ceremony. The door to the right led to the office of the sheikh. The museum, which is spread throughout the building, contains displays about the Mevlevi order and the history of the lodge. Photos are forbidden inside the building.
Left of the main entrance to the semahane are the graves of Gavsî Ahmed Dede, sheikh from 1668 to 1697; Osman Dede, sheikh from 1607 to 1730; and Sırrî Abdülbâkî Dede, sheikh from 1730 to 1751. To the right are the graves of Arzî Mehmed Dede, sheikh from 1652 to 1664, and Mehmed Şemseddîn Dede, sheikh from 1751 to 1761.
Courtyard of the Galata Mevlevi Lodge
In the pleasant courtyard is the Fountain of Adile Sultan (Adile Sultan Şadırvanı), built between 1846 and 1847 by the daughter of Sultan Mahmud II.
Garden of the Galata Mevlevi Lodge
The kitchen and harem apartment where the sheikh and his family lived were behind the fountain. Those buildings no longer exist. Instead, there’s a small garden where their foundations can be seen.
