Mevlevihane Museum

The Mevlevihane Museum stands in Kaleiçi, one of the most visited corners of Antalya. The lodge building belongs to the Seljuk period. It carries no inscription, but it is thought to have been built by Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I in 1255 and to have been used as a Mevlevi lodge from the 16th century.

The complex includes the lodge itself, a hamam, and the tombs of Zincirkıran Mehmet Bey and Nigar Hatun. Displays cover the Mevlevi order through information panels, scenes, costumes and objects. The lodge has a domed main hall where sema ceremonies were performed, with six rooms beside it that the dervishes used.

The hamam is thought to have been built in the 13th century as a private bath called the Saray Hamamı, then used in Ottoman times as the Mevlevihane bath. Nigar Hatun, buried in one of the tombs, was the mother of Prince Korkut, a son of Beyazıt II. The other tomb was built in 1377 by Mehmet Bey, nicknamed Zincirkıran, the Chain Breaker, for capturing Antalya by breaking the harbour chains. The museum also hosts talks on Islamic philosophy, readings from the Masnavi, Sufi music and sema ceremonies.