Mevlana Turbe, Mausoleum and Dervish Convent in Konya

It is within the Mevlevi Convent at Konya. The first convent was built by Bedreddin from Tabriz in 1274. It has been expanded and restored to gain the form we have at present. The Turbe (mausoleum) rests of four pillars and is 25 m. high. The body of the Turbe is observed to be in the form of a 16 foil cylindir and 16 foil conical cap. The body and cap are covered with turquoise tiles. For this reason the dome is referred to as the “Green Dome”. The Turbe contains 65 groves of various relatives and flowers of Mevlana together with himself. The pencilworks of the Turbe are also of great valve.

The idea of constructing such a structure was originated from the will of Sultan-ul Ulema Bahaeddin Veledin, father of Mevlana, when he wanted to be burried there after his death in 1230 and the structure turn out to take its shape as a single tomb was built upon his grave. After the death of Mevlana,a tomb was built there by Pervane Muiniddin and his wife Gurcu Hatun. The tomb has taken its current dervish convent structre as further religious and social architectural additions were carried out.

Succeeding to the death of Mevlana that is from 1273 improvements as to the dervish convent building continued and it was converted into a museum after the Proclamation of the Republic. In the museum there are properties belonging to Mevlana and other dervishes as well as valuable samples of hand-painted erchiefs, handwritings, ornaments, wooden works of art and instruments of the Mevlevi music, carpets and pileless carpets. The most appealing section of the tomb is the Kubbe-i Hadra (Green Vault) above the graves of Hz. Mevlana and his son Sultan Veledin.

Inside of the structure built by Architect Bedreddin during Seljuk Period in 1396 is coated with green tiles.The inner walls of the tomb was embellished with plaster relief and designs. The sarcophagus of Hz. Mevlana is one of the superior samples of wooden crafts of the period.Yet this high sarcophagus is above that of his father Sultan-ul Ulema Bahaeddin Veledin’s. On the north side of the tomb, there are Semahane( where Mevlevi dervishes perform the sema) and a small mosque constructed by Kanuni Sultan Suleyman in 16th century.

Seb-i Aruz Pool, on the other hand, is before the kitchen of the dervish convent. Within the frame of the annual commemoration ceremonies organized in the name of Mevlana, whirling dances of the Mevlevi dervishes (sema) around the pool are performed in certain days called as Seb-i Aruz (Feast Day). Since the death of Hz. Mevlana was considered as a reunion with God, these days have been renamed as feast days.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *