Galata Mevlevihanesi Müzesi

The Mevlevihanes, which for centuries blended music and science together, had a great influence on Turkish culture. Many people who gathered around the Mevlevihanes were educated in many branches of fine arts and succeeded in making a name for themselves in their fields.

Galata Mevlevihanesi, located at the top of the slope descending to Yüksekkaldırım in the Beyoğlu district, is Istanbul’s oldest mevlevihane. It was built in 1491 on the house farm of İskender Paşa, the beylerbeyi of the reign of II. Sultan Beyazıd. Its first sheikh was Mehmed Sema-i Çelebi.

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

The Mevlevihane, restored again between 1967-1972 and built as a külliye, consists of the semahane, dervish cells, sheikh’s quarters, hünkar mahfili, bacılar section, library, sebil, muvakkithane, kitchen, tombs and treasury. The inscription of repair of Sultan Abdülmecid is located above the entrance door of this wooden section, the semahane, which is used as a Museum, and bears the date 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 belonging to Mevlevi culture are exhibited. In its upper part, separated by wooden latticework, there are, in chronological order, the divans of divan poets and manuscript works belonging to Şeyh Galib, İsmail Ankaravî, Esrar and Fasih Dedeler, and Poet Leylâ Hanım, who were raised in the mevlevihane.

Galata Mevlevihanesi, opened as a museum in 1975, also known as Kulekapı Mevlevihanesi, is one of the institutions reflecting the culture and art of its period.

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