Art and Sufism

The Galata Mevlevihane in Istanbul is an example of Sufi architecture built under the Ottoman Empire in fifteenth-century that still exists today. This paper aims to create a dialogue about the Sufi architecture, which is often failed to be noticed as most of the scholarship on Ottoman architecture heavily relies on imperial mosques and palaces. Understanding the architecture of Sufi convents (tekke) carry a special value in the study of Ottoman art and society as these constructions present a symbolic bridge between the glamourous Ottoman imperial architecture and the vernacular buildings of ordinary people. The paper will argue that the spiritual beliefs and practices of the Mevlevi order shapes the architectural design and the spatial organisation of the Galata Mevlevihane in Istanbul. In doing so, it will provide an insight into the sociological and ecclesiastical nature of Mevlevi customs, and thus it will conclude that the architecture is a physical manifestation of the community itself that embodies both its sacred and profane dimensions.