How to Get There?: Behind the Tunnel Square, you will find a street lined with stores selling musical instruments. You don’t need to walk far; enter this street and you will see a building with an iron gate. This is the Whirling Dervish Hall Museum (Galata Mevlevihanesi).
Galata Mevlevihanesi is a treasure trove of Ottoman history and culture nestled at one end of İstiklal Street in Beyoglu. As you prepare to explore this fascinating site, let us provide you with a brief audio guide.
This historical gem, known as Galata or Kulekapisi Mevlevi Lodge during the Ottoman era, dates back to 1491 and stands as one of the most significant Ottoman works in Beyoglu, alongside the Galata Palace School. In 1975, it was transformed into the Divan Literature Museum and later reorganized as the Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum in 2011, inviting visitors like yourself to delve into its rich heritage.
As you step inside, the Main Door greets you, adorned with an epitaph highlighting the renovations carried out during Sultan Abdulmejid I's reign. Passing through this gateway, you'll find yourself in the Sema area on the ground floor, featuring a walnut floor and housing the mihrap (prayer niche) and minber (pulpit) at the back. Take a moment to admire the calligraphy panel by Yesarizade Mustafa İzzet, reading "Ya Hazrat-e Mawlana," before the Mitrib Mahfili (lodge) facing the Sema.
Venturing upstairs, you'll encounter the Sema 9 Lodges, where mahfil (lodges) and back rooms exhibit various other works from the Museum's collections. Among these captivating exhibits are the Marbling Exhibition by Mustafa Duzgunman, the Calligraphy Exhibition, the Hilye-i Serif (Sublime Characteristics of Prophet Muhammad) Sheets Exhibition, the Celebi Lodge, the Royal Lodge, and the Ottoman Army Band and Musical Instruments Exhibition.
Two significant tombs also reside within this hallowed space. The rectangular Tomb of Sheikh Galip, with its lead-covered roof, was constructed in 1819 and serves as the resting place for İsmail Ankaravi, İsa Dede, Selim Dede, Galip Dede, and Mehmed Ruhi Dede. The Tomb of Halet Efendi, built in 1872, is the final resting place of Halet Efendi, Kudretullah Dede, Ataullah Dede, Ubeydullah Dede, and Emine Hanım.
As you walk through the halls of Galata Mevlevihanesi, let the spirit of the past surround you and imagine the lives and teachings of those who once graced these halls. We hope this audio guide has piqued your interest, and as you explore the museum, may you uncover the richness and splendor of Ottoman history and culture that this extraordinary place has to offer.
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