The Mevlevi Monastery was the original home of the famous
whirling dervishes and now contains a Museum
of Court Literature. The Mevlevi
order was founded in during the 13th century, taking its name from the great
Sufi mystic and poet, Celaleddin Rumi, called Mevlana or Our Leader by his
disciples. Sufis seek mystical communion with God through various means. For
Mevlana, it was through a ceremony involving chants, prayers, music and a
whirling dance. The order was banned during the early days of the Turkish
Republic due to their
fundamentalist religious beliefs. Though subsequently restored, there are only
a handful of dervish lodges in Istanbul,
including this one.
The building consists of a central area for the whirling
ceremony and galleries above that were once for visitors and the orchestra.
These days the upstairs is solely for the musicians. Display cases around the central area contain
exhibits of Mevlevi calligraphy, writing and musical instruments.
Fortress of the Seven
Towers
The fortress started as a triumphal arch in the late 4th
Century which were then incorporated with great land walls surrounding the city
and four huge towers. The other three towers were added by Mehmet the
Conqueror. The towers not only served as a fortress, but as a treasury, a
prison, a place of execution, and the lodgings for ambassadors of less favored
countries. The best view of the city walls and fortress is from the Tower
of Sultan Ahmet III, and in some
places it's even possible to walk along the land walls.
Visiting Istanbul
The best time to visit Istanbul
is during the spring or fall months, when the temperature and humidity are mild
and the crowds not as large. The city is served by two major airports, though
it is also possible to get there by road or rail. Istanbul
has a very good and very cheap transit service, including buses, trams, and a
partially completed metro system.