Yenikapı Mevlevihanesi Tomb

Seyyid Mustafa Hıfzı Dede Paşa

Birth / Death: 18th century – 19th century
Title: Governor, Member of the Tanzimat Council, Head of the Meclis-i Meşayih
About: Seyyid Mustafa Hıfzı Dede Paşa was one of the prominent Mevlevî figures of the Tanzimat period. He served as the sheikh of the Yenikapı Mevlevihanesi and became the first president of the Meclis-i Meşayih, an important religious administrative body of the Ottoman Empire. He played a key role in making the Yenikapı Mevlevihanesi a significant cultural and political center in the 19th century. Known for his close ties with statesmen of the time, he brought Mevlevî traditions into social life and was remembered for organizing annual lamb feasts for the poor to strengthen the dervish lodge’s ties with the public.

Vodıneli Neyzen Ahmed Dede

Birth / Death: Unknown – 1726
Title: Musician, Sufi
About: Vodinalı Neyzen Ahmed Dede was one of the significant Mevlevî ney players of the 17th century. He was renowned both for his spiritual devotion and mastery in music, particularly the ney. He passed away in 1139 AH (1726 CE). Contemporary sources refer to him as “Seyyid Ahmed Dede gülzâr-ı bihiştî ide câ” ("May Seyyid Ahmed Dede dwell in the rose garden of Paradise"), emphasizing his spiritual status. He is remembered as one of the leading figures of Sufi music in his time.

Construction Year: 1816

Ordered by: Mahmud II

Architect: Unknown

Prominent Features:

The Yenikapı Mevlevihanesi has long been one of Istanbul’s most important Mevlevî lodges, and many prominent figures of the Tanzimat era—including statesmen, senior bureaucrats, paşas, Mevlevî çelebis, ney players, and dervishes—are buried here.
The tomb is adjoined to the semahane, forming a continuous space rather than a standalone domed structure.
It does not follow the typical small-domed tomb form and contains more than 36 graves.
It features the largest wooden dome in Turkey and the third-largest of its kind in Europe.
The semahane floor is entirely covered in original walnut wood.
The interior includes upper galleries such as the Sultan’s Lodge (hünkâr mahfili), musicians’ gallery (mutrip mahfili), women’s gallery, and viziers’ gallery.
Entry to the semahane is from the stone building, following special rituals, and sema ceremonies were performed here.
It is one of the rare examples that functioned both as a sema hall and a tomb.

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Şehzadeler and Kadınlar Tomb

Yenikapı Mevlevihanesi Tomb

Seyyid Mustafa Hıfzı Dede Paşa

Vodıneli Neyzen Ahmed Dede

Fatih, İstanbul

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