Mevlana Museum – Konya

I remember reading about Konya while on a beach in Antalya, because I wanted to learn more about the city’s history and historic sites. It was then that I discovered, for the first time, that Konya had once been the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum.

Remarkably, I knew almost nothing about the Seljuks at the time. Needless to say, I knew almost nothing about Mevlana either.

My second visit to Konya was in July 2025. I was happy to return to this fascinating city, revisit its historic sites and, above all, see the Mevlana Museum again.

WHO WAS MEVLANA

Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, more commonly known in Turkey as Mevlana, was a 13th century Persian speaking poet, Islamic scholar, theologian and Sufi mystic. His family originated from Persian cultural world of Central Asia, although his life and legacy became closely associated with Anatolia and Konya.

While Rumi may historically have been less familiar to many people in the Western world than he is today, his spiritual and literally legacy has had an enormous influence across the Islamic world. Comparisons with literary figures such as Dante or Shakespeare are, of course, subjective. But, they reflect the extraordinary importance and enduring legacy of his poetry.

Rumi’s poetry explores love, longing, the human soul and the search for the divine.

He was deeply associated with the Sufi tradition of sama, in which poetry and music could form part of a spiritual experience. His teachings and the community that developed around them later inspired the Mevlevi Order, which was organised and developed by his followers and descendants, particularly his son Sultan Walad.

The Mevlevi tradition later became famous for the Sema ceremony, performed by the dervishes more popularly known as the Whirling Dervishes. However, the elaborate form of the ceremony developed over time and should not simply be understood as something created by Rumi himself.

There is already a lot of information about Rumi on the internet, if you want to learn more about this extraordinary person. But I felt that I had to say a few words about him as an introduction to the Mevlana Museum and its significance.

MEVLANA MUSEUM

When I originally read about the Mevlana Museum in Konya, I imagined a modern museum building. Although, I could not really picture what might be inside. In fact, I didn’t want to know too much in advance. Instead, I wanted to discover the museum and its exhibits for myself.

I remember arriving at the large square that you can see in the photo below. There were two mosques in front of me. I immediately identified one of them as an Ottoman mosque. It certainly looked like many other Ottoman mosques that I had seen before but, at that point, I didn’t know exactly which mosque it was.

So, I looked around for the Mevlana Museum. Yet none of the buildings that I could see looked like a conventional museum, until it suddenly clicked. It was right there in front of me. The other historic building in the square, crowned by its famous turquoise-green tiled dome.

Perhaps you can imagine my surprise when I realised that the Mevlana Museum was much more important and much more historic that I had originally imagined.

The Mevlana Museum is, in fact, centred on Rumi’s mausoleum. Rumi died in Konya in December 1273 and was buried beside his father, Baha al-Din Walad. A mausoleum was subsequently built over the burial site. Sultan Walad played an important role in the development of the complex that later became the spiritual centre of the Mevlevi tradition.

Over the centuries, the complex also served as a tekke or dervish lodge, associated with the Mevlevi Order, more popularly known through the tradition of the Whirling Dervishes. The Mevlevi Order later became and important cultural and spiritual institution in the Ottoman world.

It is one of the most visited museums and cultural sites in Turkey, attracting millions of visitors. It is also an important place of pilgrimage and spiritual significance for Rumi’s followers from Turkey and around the world.

However, what you can’t see in the photos are the many people who were there at the same time as I was. In fact, there were busloads of tourists visiting the museum, many of them arriving from other destinations in Turkey, most likely as part of organised day excursions. Interestingly, I noticed that same groups seemed to visit only the Mevlana Museum and the Selimiye Mosque before moving on. I didn’t see any tourists at some of Konya’s other equally fascinating historic sites, such as the Aziziye Mosque and the Alaeddin Mosque.

Although, I enjoyed the fact that these other sites were much quieter. At times, I had them almost entirely to myself.

MAUSOLEUM

As I have already mentioned, the museum is centred around Rumi’s mausoleum.

However, other important figures are also buried within the complex, including members of Rumi’s family, his followers and prominent figures associated with the Mevlevi Order.

Sultan Walad himself is among those connected with the burial complex.

Certainly, the most important tomb is Rumi’s. It occupies the central part of the mausoleum and lies beneath the famous green-tiled dome.

RUMI’S LOVE POEMS

A moment of happiness, 

you and I sitting on the veranda,

apparently two, but one in soul, you and I.

We feel the flowing water of life here,

you and I, with the garden’s beauty

and the birds singing.

The stars will be watching us, 

and we will show them

what it is to be a thin crescent moon.

You and I unselfed, will be together, 

indifferent to idle speculation, you and I.

The parrots of heaven will be cracking sugar

as we laugh together, you and I.

In one form upon this earth, 

and in another form in a timeless sweet land

Kulliyat-e Shams, 2114

Lovers

O lovers, lovers it is time

to set out from the world.

I hear a drum in my soul’s ear

coming from the depths of the stars.

Our camel driver is at work;

the caravan is being readied.

He asks that we forgive him 

for the disturbance he has caused us,

He asks why we travellers are asleep. 

Everywhere the murmur of departure;

the stars, like candles thrust at us from behind blue veils,

and as if to make the invisible pain,

a wondrous people have come forth.

The Divani Shamsi Tabriz XXXVI

I am glad that I visited the Mevlana Museum in Konya. It inspired me to learn more about Rumi, the Mevlevi Order and the Whirling Dervishes. I knew almost nothing about these subjects before my first visit to Konya.

If the Mevlana Museum were the only thing to see in Konya, it would still be worth visiting. It is a magnificent and deeply meaningful place, especially when you understand its history, symbolism and spiritual significance. Or, perhaps, I should say Rumi’s significance.

I also believe that anyone travelling near Konya should make an effort and visit this remarkable and precious place.