Karabash-i Veli Dergah Restored and Reopened

By Adem Elitok, "Sufi lodge in Bursa back to its former function" - Today's Zaman - Istanbul, Turkey
Friday, May 2, 2008

Bursa: The restoration of the dervish lodge (dergâh) of Karabash-i Veli has been completed and the complex is now open for use.

The lodge mostly serves to host performances of the Mevlevi whirling rite put on by the Association to Introduce and Perpetuate Mevlana Culture in association with the Osmangazi Municipality.

The nightly “sema” performances attract visitors from all age groups and walks of life.

The Osmangazi district’s local administration recently restored many historical structures and sites, transforming them into cultural centers and art galleries to save them from dilapidation resulting from lack of use and maintenance.

The Karabash-i Veli Dergah -- “Karabash-i Veli” being the nickname of Sufi saint Ali Atvel, the founder of the Karabashiyya branch of the Khalwati-Shabani Sufi Order -- is one of these recently restored places.

Osmangazi Mayor Recep Altepe is proud of his city, he said in an interview with Today’s Zaman, stating that Bursa was one of the most beautiful cities on the face of earth and he was honored to serve on its administration.

Altepe estimated the number of Osmangazi’s historical buildings -- not including those in Bursa -- at 1,800, emphasizing that few world cities could boast such historical richness, making Bursa truly unique.

Bursa currently has 100 historical buildings undergoing restoration, he said. “We have been endeavoring to make Bursa a more beautiful place,” he added.

Altepe said that his administration felt a great sense of responsibility toward the past, remarking that they had taken a very important step in this regard when deciding to restore so many historical sites.

“As a gift to our Bursa, we have so far restored dozens of buildings. It’s very important to us to see historical buildings revived.

The Gökdere Madrasah, the Haraççıoğlu Madrasah, the Ördekli Bath, the historical city walls and the historical Merinos Train Station are only a few of the restored sites.

Previously, they were all in a dilapidated state. But after being restored, they changed the city’s silhouette,” he said, stressing that the Karabash-i Veli Dergah was among the most important of restored structures.

Altepe also highlighted the importance of cultural and historical sites in terms of tourism and economy.

“Our policy as the Osmangazi local governance is to operate [utilize] these places once they are restored. Or else it would be impossible to maintain them.
We open these places for public benefit in cooperation with civil society organizations.”

The history of the Karabash-i Veli Dergah
The dergâh was founded in the Veli Şemsettin neighborhood (today’s İbrahim Pasha neighborhood) in the 16th century by Sheikh Yakub Chelebi of the Khalwati Order, who passed away in 1550.

The dergâh remained a Khalwati dergâh for about two and a half centuries until the beginning of the 19th century when it was passed on to the Eshrefi branch of the Qadiriyya Order.

After September 1925, when the government shut down and outlawed all Sufi lodges, its main hall -- called the “semâhâne” or “tevhidhâne,” where the Sufi remembrance rites used to be held -- was used for sports for a time and the rest of the compound was used as a residence.

It is one of the few dergâhs that survived to the present day as a physical building, although much of the original structure could not survive the centuries.

Today’s semâhâne was built in 1822, as evidenced by an epitaph signed by Mehmed Karamanî who inscribed the Victory chapter of the Quran on the circular support connecting the dome with its pillars.

From historical records dated 1851, we understand that the dergâh was then made up of a semâhâne, a sheikh’s chamber, two dervish cells and rooms for guests, an antechamber and a place for making ablution.

The semâhâne was built in the “ampir” style, which gained recognition and fame in the time of Sultan Mahmud II.

The main walls have a size of 9.33 meters to 11.52 meters and are wooden. The indoors of the building are supported by eight wooden piers on which sits a wooden dome ornamented with wooden banisters forming a circle inside the dome.

What we also understand from the historical records is that semâhâne and the other parts underwent repair work and restoration at various times.

Inside the small cemetery encircled with iron banisters to the east of the semâhâne are the graves of sheikhs who served the dergâh throughout the years.