Edirne Mevlevihanesi Restoration Nears Completion

Restoration work on the historic Edirne Mevlevihanesi, a 15th‑century Sufi lodge in north‑western Turkey, is approaching its final stages. Under the direction of Edirne Governor Yunus Sezer, a 2024 project examined archival sources and old photographs, carried out foundation excavations, and completed detailed measured‑drawings, restitution and restoration plans. The construction phase, overseen by the Edirne Governor’s Environment Protection Foundation, has now finished, and landscaping and site‑planning work are being wrapped up ahead of the lodge’s public reopening.

The Mevlevihanesi, originally commissioned by Sultan Murad II within the Muradiye Mosque complex, once housed a semahane, dervish cells, a library and a kitchen that fed visitors daily. It survived damage from the 1752 earthquake, was repaired in 1753 and again after the 1909 quake, served briefly as an elementary school in 1925, and was later demolished under General Kazım Dirik. The graves of its early sheikhs, including Celalettin Çelebi—Mevlana’s grandson—remain in the mosque’s courtyard.