Nicosia Mevlevi Museum

Nicosia Mevlevi Museum, is located just beyond the Kyrenia Gate in the Walled City of Nicosia. It was built on a large land donated by Emine Hatun in the early 17th century. The Mevlevihane, which is used as the Cyprus extension of the Mevlevi order, is considered as a continuation of the previously established Arab Ahmet and Ferhat Pasha Mevlevihane. In 1607, Sheikh Saadeddin Ibn-i Muharrem was the first Sheikh sent from Konya to Nicosia Mevlevihane. He also served as the Mufti of Cyprus as well as this duty. After the death of Sheikh Şamlı Selim Dede in 1954, the Mevlevihane lost its function and was organised as the ‘Cyprus Turkish Museum’ and opened to visitors on 30 April 1963. The museum, which is the first Turkish museum in Cyprus, exhibited ethnographic works reflecting the Turkish Cypriot culture, manuscripts, decrees and certificates, weapons, Mevlevi costumes, musical instruments, court records, carpets and decrees in the sama area. In addition, tombstones and inscriptions removed from the old Kyrenia Gate Ottoman Cemetery, which are currently on display in the courtyard, were exhibited. The construction of the Vakıflar Business Center, which was carried out in the late 1970s, caused the previously existing inner courtyard to shrink even further and lose its inner courtyard features. In 2000, it was planned to open the building as a Mevlevi Museum with the restoration works initiated to reveal the original features of the Mevlevihane. As a result of the works carried out, the building was opened as the Nicosia Mevlevi Museum on 17 December 2002, the day of ‘Şeb-i Arûs’. Today, the building consists of a large sama area at the main entrance, a kitchen on the side, and a long corridor with 16 tombs at the back. There is an L-shaped courtyard and a garden at the back area.

TİKA's Contributions

The restoration works initiated by TIKA in 2023 were completed at the end of 2024 with exhibition and landscaping works. Within the scope of the works carried out; the wooden flooring in the Sama area, which deteriorated due to moisture, was removed and the flooring was renewed after waterproofing the floor. The Musician area has been renovated and its flooring has been renewed. The worn roof of the main building was removed and insulated and broken tiles were replaced.  Stone completion was done in the damaged areas of the stone body walls of the building, and transparent insulation and protection material was applied by spraying method. Plaster repairs and painting were made in the interior of the building. The doors of the building were repaired and the windows were renewed.  Stone floor slabs of the building were repaired and cleaned. The domes of the tomb section were repaired and waterproof plaster and paint were applied. The worn-out courtyard walls were repaired, and a drainage system was installed both in front of the courtyard wall and on the outside of the wall facing the street. The roof of the administrative building was renewed and the door and windows were painted. The toilet section has been repaired and renovated. External lighting system was applied to the building. Metal pedestals were produced for the tombstones in the courtyard and information signboards were installed near to the stones.  The landscaping of the courtyard and garden areas were completed. An ornamental pool was built in the backyard, and the unused area behind backyard was turned into a rose garden. Tomb section cist covers and dervish caps were renewed. The calligraphy on the right wall of the main building entrance was renewed and 4 kufi style calligraphy paintings were hung on the sama area walls. Photographs of the Mevlevihane, which had not been seen before, were printed and started to be exhibited at the entrance. CCTV camera system has been installed for security. Thus, the Mevlevi Museum was renovated in a way that will keep the historical and cultural heritage alive and contribute to cultural life.