Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum

Mevlevihanes, which have combined music and science for centuries, have had a great impact on Turkish culture. Many people gathered around the Mevlevihanes studied in many branches of fine arts and succeeded in making their mark in their fields.

Galata Mevlevi Lodge, located at the beginning of the slope descending to Yüksekkaldırım in Beyoğlu district, is the oldest Mevlevi Lodge in Istanbul. II. It was built in 1491 on the home farm of Iskender Pasha, the governor of the Sultan Beyazid period. Its first sheikh was also Mehmed Sema-i Çelebi.

Mevlevihane Sultan III. Although it suffered a fire during the time of Mustafa, the Mevlevihane, which is standing today, was built by the same sultan. Then Sultan III. Selim and II. It was repaired in the time of Mahmud and continued its activities until 1925.

Mevlevihane, which was repaired and built as a complex between 1967-1972; It consists of semahane, dervish cells, sheikh's office, sultan's chamber, sisters section, library, public fountain, timetable, kitchen, tombs and treasury. On the entrance door of this wooden part, which is being used as a Semahane Museum, there is the repair inscription of Sultan Abdülmecid and it bears the date of 1853.

The building has an octagonal plan and is one of the fine examples of the 18th century Baroque style. In this section, Turkish musical instruments and works of Mevlevi culture are exhibited. On the upper part, which is separated by wooden cages, there are divans of divan poets and manuscripts of Sheikh Galib, İsmail Ankaravî, Esrar and Fasih Dedes and Poet Leylâ Hanım, who grew up in the Mevlevihane in chronological order.

Galata Mevlevihanesi, also known as the Kulekapı Mevlevihanesi, which was opened as a museum in 1975, is one of the institutions that reflect the culture and art of its era.