Syrie Moderne - Convent de Derviches a Tripoli (Plate 13) (El-Takiya al-Mawlawiye, a Mevlevi Sufi Lodge Built in 1619 on the Banks of the Abu Ali River near Tripoli)

Description

El-Takiya al-Mawlawiye is an old Mevlevi Sufi lodge established in the 17th century on the banks of the Abu Ali River in Tripoli. The Mevlevi dervishes used it as their headquarters, performing their rituals here—most notably the Sufi sema ceremony known as “al-Sema,” held every Thursday. The lodge remained active until the death of its last shaykh, Shaykh Anwar al-Mawlawi, in 1963. Over the centuries, it was visited by many Arab and foreign travelers. The earliest known visitor was Ibn Mahasan al-Dimashqi. In the late 17th century, Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi visited the site and praised its beauty, comparing it to paradise. Since 2010, Turkey has undertaken the restoration of the structure as part of a broader project aimed at preserving Ottoman architectural heritage in the region.