Mevlevihane Museum (Sultan Divani Mevlevihane)

The Mevlevihane Museum (Sultan Divani Mevlevihane Müzesi) in Afyonkarahisar preserves the material culture of the Mevlevi Sufi order in one of its oldest Anatolian lodges, founded in the 13th century — shortly after the death of Jalal al-Din Rumi in Konya in 1273 CE. The complex in the Mevlevi neighbourhood of central Afyonkarahisar ranked as one of the most important Mevlevi centres outside Konya for centuries, serving as a regional hub for the order's spiritual and educational activities. Following the abolition of Sufi lodges by the Turkish Republic in 1925, the Mevlevihane was converted into a museum administered by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The museum's central exhibit is the restored semahane — the large ceremonial hall where the sema whirling meditation ritual was performed — which preserves its wooden elevated gallery for musicians, ornately carved wooden screens and the polished timber floor on which the dervishes turned. Display cases around the semahane and in adjoining rooms exhibit the characteristic Mevlevi costume: the tall conical felt sikke (hat) and flowing white tennure (whirling robe) worn during the sema. Musical instruments of the order are also displayed, including the ney (end-blown flute), the bendir (frame drum) and the kudum (paired kettledrums). Illuminated manuscript pages from Rumi's Masnavi and calligraphic panels in the Ottoman thuluth and naskh scripts complete the collection. Partially restored dervish cells (hücreler) and kitchen spaces of the original lodge are accessible within the complex. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday; admission is free.