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Sufism

Sufism
Sufism, an Islamic mysticism, is a way of life in which a deeper identity is discovered and lived. It is less a doctrine or a belief system than an experience and way of life. Those who follow the Sufi path strive to follow both the inner and the outer aspects of Islam with ever-increasing sincerity.…
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Sema and Whirling Dervishes

Sema and Whirling Dervishes
As a part of the education of the disciples and the inspiration of Mevlâna, the Mevlevi Orderhas established a symbolic dance, called Sema, performed by the Dervishes, "Semazens". Literary meaning of sema is "hearing". Brought under certain Mevlevi rules during late 15th century, Sema combined with soft music of the Turkish flute (ney) and double…
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Konya Mevlâna Museum

Konya Mevlâna Museum
Konya Mevlâna Müzesi As the capital city of the Great Seljuk Empire (1037-1194), Konya, where Mevlâna lived, was then a very popular place in Anatolia. The current location of the Order in Konya was granted by the Seljuk Emperor Alâeddîn Keykubad to Mevlâna's father Bahaeddin Veled, who was then the chief scholar (Sultan-ül Ulema). When…
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The First Seven Ecumenical Councils

The First Seven Ecumenical Councils
Christianity was formed as an organized religion, and was accepted as Rome’s official religion during the reign of Roman Empire Constantine the Great (306-337). During this period, several councils were held to establish the generally accepted rules. An ecumenical (worldwide) council is a conference held by theological dignitaries and experts to discuss and settle the…
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Great Schism of 1054

Great Schism of 1054
Geographical, cultural, linguistic and political conditions created severe disagreements or divisions, called schism, between the east and the west, or even within the west and the east as time passed. In 1054, the Great Schism, also called the East–West Schism, created centuries-long separation between the Eastern and the Western branches of Christianity. The Great Schism…
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The Crimean War

The Crimean War
(1853-1856) The most important military confrontation during the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid was the three-year Crimean War (1853-1856) between the Russians and the British, French, Sardinians and Ottomans. It marks the first Ottoman war, for which Ottomans allied with other countries. Among the major reasons of the war was that Russians desired to expand their territory…
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Yenikapi Mevlevi Lodge

Yenikapi Mevlevi Lodge
Yenikapı Mevlevihanesi (1597) Yenikapi Mevlevi Lodge (Mevlevihane), referred to as "Mevlanakapı", was the most important (and the largest in Istanbul) Mevlevi lodge in Turkey after its main Mevlevi center in Konya. Yenikapı Mevlevi Lodge was built in 1597 on the land donated by Malkoç Mehmet Efendi, the Chief Caliph of Janissary, nicknamed Kocabektaş, the neighborhood…
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Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum

Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum
The Museum of Divan Literature (1491) - Galata Mevlevihanesi ve Divan Edebiyatı Müzesi Founded by Divane Mehmed Çelebi Dede in 1481 during the reign of Sultan Bayezid II, Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum was the oldest Mevlevi Lodge in Istanbul and the second largest Lodge after Yenikapi Mevlevihanesi. As it is located on Galata, which was…
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Çırağan Palace

Çırağan Palace
Büyük Saray-ı Hümâyûn The construction of the Çırağan Palace, commissioned to Sarkis Balyan, was completed in 1871, eight years after construction had started. It covers the area of 76,400 m2 (664m X 115m). It was built in an eclectic style with an Eastern flair, mainly North African. The architectural style was inspired by  Alhambra, the…
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Feriye Palaces

Feriye Palaces
In later years of the Ottoman Empire, especially after Abdülmecid died in 1861, the Empire needed new residences for Abdülmecid’s family (25 wives and 43 children) and the other extended royal family members. Instead of sending them away, they kept them in the palace. Therefore, they built private residence buildings next to the Palace toward Ortaköy,…
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