Kurşunlu Library: Open daily from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Established in 2010 with the support of our donors, Kurşunlu Library is located in the two-arched space next to the Kurşunlu Mosque. In the past, this space also served as a library, a primary school (sıbyan mektebi), and a kitchen. Today, it is kept open every afternoon by our volunteers. Our library serves the public who come to study, conduct research, or read.
The library contains works by Hz. Mevlana, books written about him, and works by other Sufi mystics. Additionally, there are works on art, philosophy, numismatics, history, world religions, children's books, and the history of Eskişehir. The library also displays photographs, objects, and the stages of making the ney (reed flute), all of which shed light on the history of the Mevlevihane (Mevlevi lodge).
Eskişehir Mevlevihane Semahane (Whirling Ceremony Hall): Open on weekends
"At the tip of the finial atop the semahane’s dome is a Mevlevi dervish hat. The semahane consisted of two parts: the 'sema area' and the 'musical ensemble' (mutrib heyeti). The ensemble, who performed the music, sat on a balcony above with a clear view of the sema area. This balcony was made of wood and has not survived to the present day. The semahane also housed a large tower clock that was wound and adjusted daily.
Next to the semahane were the tombs of postnişin Hasan Hüsni Dede (b.1833–d.1908) and his father Çürükoğlu Hüseyin Dede (d.1865). This area was covered and accessed from within the semahane. During renovations in the 1960s, the mausoleum was demolished, and the tombs were left exposed to the open air.
The Sema Ceremony used to be performed in the Kurşunlu Mosque on special days such as religious holidays, holy nights, and commemorations of Hz. Mevlana. On holidays, the dervish elders would visit the tomb of Sheikh Edebâli. Leading the procession was a dede carrying a ceremonial axe (teber), followed by the standard and its guards, then the postnişin, and behind them the musical ensemble with their instruments. After them came the dervishes and members of the public who wished to join. The kudüm, an important Mevlevi percussion instrument, was carried on the back of a dervish with a shoulder strap, and the kudümzen (drummer) would walk behind, striking it. The distance between the Mevlevihane and the tomb of Sheikh Edebâli was covered on foot, accompanied by both instrumental music and recitations of the ritual."
Eskişehir Mevlevihanesi, Adalıoğlu, Aslan