The location of Mevlana Dargah which is used as a museum today, was initially in the rose garden in Seljuk Palace and later it was given as a gift to the father of Mevlana by Sultan Alâeddin Keykubad.
It was decided to build a mausoleum upon the grave of Mevlana (Rumi) who died in 1273.
The architect of the mausoleum is Bedrettin of Tabriz. It was built upon four feet of elephant ( thick pillars).
The Mawlawi Dargah and the mausoleum have been in service since 1926.
The area of the museum and its garden is 18.000 m².
In the courtyard, the washing fountain (şadırvan) that was built in 1512 with the command of Selim I, and the fount which was named as selsebil with "Şeb-i Arûs" pool exist.
The Tilâvet Room
In the Calligraphy Chamber, the tablets of the precious calligraphers such as Mahmud Celaleddin, Mustafa Rakım, Hulusi, Yesarizâde and golden embossed tablet which was written by Mahmud II exist.
The Mausoleum
One can enter the mausoleum through the silver gate that was made by the son of Sokullu Mehmed Pasha, Hasan Pasha in 1599.
The rare specimens of Masnavis and Divân-ı Kebir which are the famous works of Mevlana are on display.
On a raised platform, sarcaphagusus of six dervishes (Horasan erler) are placed. The two tablets which is there, are important in order to understand the philosopy of Mevlana and his system of thoughts.
The first tablet,
“Either appear as the person you are or be as you appear” Mevlana
The second tablet is the Persian rubai of Mevlana.
“Come, come whoever you are, come! Come even if you are a kaffir or a magi or a idolater, come!”
“Our dargah is not a dargah of hopelessness. Come even if you ruin your promises hundred times!” Mevlana
On the other raised platforms, 55 cenotaphs of those who are the descandants of Mevlana and his father’s Bahaeddin Veled and 10 cenotaphs belonging to some high-ranking members of Mevlevi order totally form 65 cenotaphs.
Under the green dome, cenotaphs of Mevlana and his son Veled stand. The marble sarcaphagus upon their cenotaphs was made by Suleyman The Magnificent in 1565.
Pûşîde which was embroidered with golden threads upon the sarcaphaguses was made by Abdülhamid II in 1894.
The wooden sarcaphaguses that is on the cenotaph of Mevlana’s father, Bahaeddin Veled, is a masterpiece of Seljuk woodcarving and was made for Mevlana in 1274.
Semâhâne (The Ritual Hall)
Semâhâne was made by Süleyman the Magnificent in XVI century.
Semâ, the ritual dance had been performed until the day on which the dargah became a museum.
In Semâhâne, historical carpets; metal and wooden creations, and Mevlevi musical instruments in displays are exhibited.
Masjid (The Small Mosque)
In this section, müezzin mahfili (which is a special raised platform in a mosque where a muezzin kneels and chants in response to the imam's prayers) and mesnevîhân platform are preserved with their original forms.
In Masjid, rare specimens of precious rugs and wooden gates are exhibited and in ten display windows, valuable examples of covers, calligraphy, and gilding exist.
The Section of Rug-Fabric and Dervish Cells
In the front court of Mevlâna Dargah, there are 17 cells all of which have one little dome and chimney.
These cells were made by Murad II for the residence of the dervishes in 1584.
Two cells as the cells of postnişîn and mesnevîhân, are exhibited with their original stuffs.
Another two cells serve as a library with their collection of precious books.
The walls of the other cells have been removed, so that two large corridors which are connected to each other are made. In these corridors, historical rugs belonging to regions such as Kula, Gördes, Uşak, Kırşehir and historical rugs that were woven in regions adherent to Konya City, such as Ladik, Karaman, Karapınar, Sille are exhibited.
In the display windows, the historical goods pertaining to Mevlevi ethnography which were moved from the dargah to the museum and very precious Bursa fabrics which take place in museum collection, are exhibited.
Matbah (Kitchen of the Dervishes)
Matbah which supplied the dervishes’ need of food until the dargah was transformed into a museum, was made by Murad III in 1584.
Mevlana's Life
Works of Mevlana |
