MEVLEVIS AND MEVLEVI ORDER IN THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE AYDINOĞULLARI PRINCIPALITY

The Aydınoğulları Principality was founded in Western Anatolia in the 14th century and developed close relations with the Mevlevi Order. The spread of the Mevlevi Order in the region began with the visits of Sultan Veled and Arif Çelebi, and was further strengthened when the founder of the principality, Mübârizeddîn Mehmet Bey, joined the Mevlevi Order. His son Umur Bey also showed respect to the Mevlevi Order and maintained his ties with the order. It is thought that there were Mevlevi lodges in important centers such as Tire, Birgi and Ayasuluğ during the principality period. However, there are limited definitive records about these structures. After the Ottomans conquered the region, Murat II annexed the Aydınoğulları lands to the Ottomans in 1426 and had the Tire Mevlevi Lodge built in 1441. This indicates that the Mevlevi presence in the region was strong. As Evliya Çelebi stated in his travelogue, Mevlevi lodges were not only places of worship but also served as centers of cultural and social life. It is seen that even the coffeehouses in the region were shaped in accordance with the Mevlevi culture. Among the Mevlevi sheikhs affiliated with the Aydınoğulları were names such as Derviş Ali Horasanî, Derviş Lâlî, Küçük Nûre’d-dîn, and Derviş Nigâhî. These sheikhs both spread Mevlevi and made important contributions to science and art. Mevlevi was supported during the Ottoman period, but from time to time it faced movements such as the Kadızadeler movement. The activities of the Mevlevi lodges ended with the closure of the lodges and zawiyas in 1925.