The Facts and History of Mevleviyeh

This sect, associated with the name of Mevlana, was actually founded by his son, Sultan Veled. The term means "way" or "route." Although this word has faced vilification over time, ancient sects served as centers of knowledge and wisdom. In fact, many of these sects offered not only religious education but also scientific instruction.

Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi told his eldest son Sultan Veled that he did not intend to become a sheikh during his lifetime, and in this respect, after the death of Şems, he obeyed first Selahattin Zerkub and then Hüsamettin Çelebi. After his death, his son Sultan Veled and Veled’s son Mevlana’s grandson Ulu Arif Çelebi compiled the Mevlevi sect.

Sectarian Movements

Mevlana did not perform any ceremony or dhikr for those who were up to him while he was alive. In the time of Mevlana, neither he nor those who were up to him had a special clothing. He would wear the so-called ferecî, which was worn by the ulema at that time, wrap the traditional turban and additionally wear a Belh cone. Only after the bereavement of Shams did he change his white turban to a dark purple – but close to black – in mourning. 

In fact, Mevlana said that clothing and wisdom would not be revealed, and he compared the sheikhs of their sects, who had a dress code, to marketers who opened shops. He used to dress his dervishes, who were only up to him and given a “cerag”, with an open front garment. Destegül, tennûre, used in Mevlevi lodges is not related with Mevlâna.

Abdülbaki Gölpınarlı uttered the following lines on this subject:

“In short, (obviously) Mevlana is not only compatible with not accepting clothing and ceremonies, but also not accepting spiritual attachment to a sect, basically obeying the shari’a, accepting love and attraction (remembering Allah and being ecstatic with his name). He was a man of Melâmet and wisdom from his way. He accepted the samah for love and attraction.”

After Mevlana’s death, Sultan Veled initiated the construction of a tomb for him and ensured that those who were loyal to Mevlana did not disperse. Although Hüsamettin Çelebi started the first sect activities, Sultan Veled, who took his place after his death, made the Mevlevi order as today with a great organization. Sultan Veled established good relations and cooperated with both the Anatolian Seljuks, the Mongols who occupied Anatolia at that time, and the Turkmen lords in order to spread the views of his father, to increase the income of the foundation he founded on behalf of his father, to establish new foundations and to get back what they lost in a period of political and internal troubles in Anatolia.