Mevlana Museum Konya / Best Museums Of Turkey

 Mevlana Museum - Konya

While the place of Mevlana Lodge , which is used as a museum today , was the Rose Garden of the Seljuk Palace, the garden was gifted to Mevlana's father, Sultanü'l-Ulema Bahaeddin Veled , by Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad . When Sultanü'l-Ulema died on January 12, 1231, he was buried in its present place in the tomb. This is the first burial in the rose garden. After Sultanü'l-Ulema's death, those who loved him applied to Mevlana and said that they wanted to build a tomb over his father's grave, but Mevlana refused this request, saying, "Is there a better tomb than the sky dome?"

However, when he died on December 17, 1273, Mevlana's son Sultan Veled accepted the wishes of those who wanted to build a mausoleum on Mevlana's grave. The tomb called " Kubbe-i Hadra " (Green Dome) was built on four elephant feet (thick columns) by Architect Bedrettin from Tabriz for 130 thousand Seljuk dirhams. After this date, the construction activities never ended and continued with additions until the end of the 19th century.

Mevlevi Lodge and Tomb started to serve as a museum in 1926 under the name of " Konya Asâr-ı Atîka Museum ". In 1954, the exhibition and arrangement of the museum was revised and the name of the museum was changed to Mevlana Museum . While the area of ​​the museum was 6,500 square meters with its garden, it reached 18 thousand square meters with the sections organized as the Rose Garden by expropriation.

The courtyard of the museum is entered through the " Dervişân Gate ". There are dervish cells along the north and west sides of the courtyard. The south direction ends with the Hâmûşân (Silent) Gate, which opens to Üçler Cemetery after the printing house and Hürrem Pasha Tomb. In the east of the courtyard, there is the main building, which includes the tombs of Sinan Pasha, Fatma Hatun and Hasan Pasha, as well as the semahane and masjid sections, and the tombs of Mevlana and his family members. The covered fountain and the "Şeb-i Arus"  pool , built by Yavuz Sultan Selim in 1512,  and the fountain called selsebil, located in the north of the courtyard, add a different color to the courtyard.

 

Precious Artifacts Found in the Mevlana Museum :

Works belonging to Mevlana and Mevlevi, as well as manuscripts, plates, oil lamps and musical instruments are exhibited in the museum. The specialized library in the museum was founded in 1854 by Postnishin Mehmed Saîd Hemdem Çelebi. There are over 4 thousand manuscripts in 2 thousand 756 volumes from the Seljuk, Karamanoğulları and Ottoman periods in the library. All of the books have been transferred to CD media and made available to researchers. Other valuable works in the museum are as follows.

 

Mevlana's Ark :

It was made of walnut wood baked in 1274 by Hümâmeddin Mehmed, son of Genak from Konya and Architect Abdülvahid, son of Selîm from Tabriz (two turbaned tombs in the front are Mevlana and his son Veled, and the single turbaned sarcophagus at the back belongs to Mevlana's father Muhammed Bahaeddin Veled. There is also different information in the sources).

The surface of the sarcophagus is decorated with geometric and floral motifs and inscription belts consisting of couplets taken from the Mesnevi and Divan-ı Kebir.

The inscription at the foot of the sarcophagus reads: “Whoever visits this grave will definitely be blessed and auspicious. This grave is the resting place of Mevlana Muhammad, son of Muhammad, son of Huseyin from Belh. He is the sultan of scholars in the east and west ” is written.

Pûşide (Mawlana's Grave Cover) :

Sultan II. It was made by Abdulhamid in 1895 from an atlas fabric on leather. Pûşide embroidered with gold clappers is 3.96 x 6.30 m. in size. The inscriptions found on the pushide belong to the Calligrapher Hasan Sırrı Efendi from Maraş.

A section from the verses of “Âyete'l-Kürsî, Tekâsür, Aʻrâf sura 34 and Âl-i İmrân sura 185. verses of Fâtiha and İhlas suras and a word used for Lafza-i Celâl (for the name of Allah) with celî thuluth calligraphy on the pushide. ), Esmâ-yı Nebî, inscription and III. "Selim's tughra" is embroidered.

 

Mathnawi :

The Masnavi copy, which was written five years after the death of Mevlana, is accepted as the Nüsha-i Kadim (old copy). In this copy of Mesnevî, six volumes are gathered together.

The work in question was written in Nesih calligraphy by Calligrapher Mehmed bin Abdullah Konevi in 1278 during the Seljuk Period .

 

April Stone :

It was made by the Ilkhanid Ruler, Abu Said Bahadır Han, in 1327 with the technique of inlaying silver and gold on bronze, and was sent to the Mevlana Lodge as a gift.

The bowl was named the April Fountain because the April rains were collected and distributed to the visitors for healing purposes.

 

Mevlana's Life :

Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi, whose real name is Muhammed Celaleddin, was born on September 30, 1207 in the city of Belh, which is within the borders of Afghanistan today. His father is Muhammed Bahaeddin Veled, who has the title of Sultanü'l-Ulema (Sultan of Scholars), and his mother is Mümine Hatun. 

Muhammed Bahaeddin Veled immigrated from Belh with his family some time after the birth of Mevlana. Mevlana and his family entered Anatolian lands through Aleppo after Damascus and settled in Larende (Karaman) in 1222 via Malatya, Erzincan, Sivas, Kayseri and Niğde. Bahaeddin Veled stays in the madrasah built for him in Karaman for 7 years and carries out the activities of guidance. 

Mevlana Celaleddin married Gevher Hatun in 1225 in Karaman. Two sons, Sultan Veled and Alaeddin Çelebi, were born from this marriage by Mevlana. Upon the death of Gevher Hatun, he made his second marriage with Kerra Hatun and had a son named Emir Âlim Çelebi and a daughter named Melike Hatun. 

Upon the insistent invitation of the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat, Bahaeddin Veled and his family migrated from Karaman to Konya, the capital of the Seljuk State.

Mevlâna and his family first settled in the Altunaba (İplikçi) Madrasa. Bahaeddin Veled, who was busy with preaching and guidance activities, soon became famous in the Seljuk State. He died on January 12, 1231, at the age of 85 in Konya. 

Mevlana, who took his place after his father's death, gave lectures for many years in the madrasah at the place now known as İplikçi Mosque. He died on Sunday, December 17, 1273, at the age of 66, in Konya.

Mevlâna's Encounter with Şemş :

The event that caused changes in Mevlâna's life and is considered as a turning point in his life is his meeting with Şems-i Tebrizi. This meeting, which took place in 1244 or 1245, changed the life of Mevlana, who was very active and social, by teaching in madrasas and preaching in mosques, and he spent most of his time with Shams. Disturbed by this situation, Mevlana's followers cause Shams to leave. 

Mevlana sends men for Shams to return and makes him come. However, as the complaints increased again, Shams left Konya in 1247, never to return. Mevlana could not forget Şemş and dedicated his work Divan to him.

Works of Mevlana :

Dîvân-ı Kebîr (Great Divan):

 The work consists of ghazals and rubâîs. Most of the poems in which there are works belong to the period after Mevlânâ's meeting with Şems.

Mesnevi :

 It is a Persian work of Mevlana consisting of six volumes and approximately 25,700 couplets. The work, which includes Mevlana's understanding of mysticism, is among the important sources of Islamic culture.

Fîhi mâ fih (The contents are in it, what is in it is in it, everything is in it):

 It was compiled after the death of Mevlânâ's conversations recorded by his son Sultan Veled or another disciple.

Mecâlis-i Sebʿa (Seven Councils ): 

It consists of the speeches made by Mevlânâ in his sermons and conversations.

Mektûbât (Letters):

 It consists of letters that Mevlânâ wrote to various people for different reasons.

Seb-i Arus  (Persian sheb: night, Arabic arus: wedding) :

Şeb-i Arus, which means wedding night, is the night of Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi's death, which indicates his reunion with the divine beloved. On the anniversary of this night, the Vuslat Anniversary International Commemoration Ceremonies are held in Konya in the weeks that coincide with 17 December.

Resources:

Konya Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism "City of Civilizations Konya" Publication No: 231 Print Date: November 2015,

International Mevlana and Mevlevi Symposium Proceedings-I, Assoc. Dr. İbrahim COŞKUN, Theologian Who Brings the Mind and the Heart together: Mevlana Celaleddin Er -Rumi.

• Type: Museum

• Type of Tourism: Faith-Cultural Tourism

• How to go: Mevlana Museum is located in the center of Konya. There are directional signs to the Museum at the entrances to the city and within the city. You can reach the museum area by tram, bus and minibus. There are parking lots around the museum.

• Address: Aziziye Mah, Mevlana Cd. No:1, 42030 Karatay/Konya