Konya Mevlana Museum – Chapter 3

Konya Mevlana Museum – Chapter 3,

The stalactite-filled dome in front of the sarcophagus of Mevlana is called the Post Dome. The oldest manuscripts of the Mesnevi (collection of poems by Mevlana), a gilded Divan-i Kebir (collection of lyric poetry), and the manuscript Divan of Sultan Veled are exhibited at the entrance to the tomb and in the cases in the center. The April Cup, which is a large bronze cauldron decorated with damascene figures and designs in gold and silver, is also exhibited here. The Imperial Sultan Abu Said Bahadir Han (1305-1335) had the April Cup made in Mosul and presented it to the north of Mevlana in 1333. One the right-hand side of the room is a silver lattice separating the sarcophagus of Mevlana from the Huzur-i Pir, called the Silver Cage. The Maras Governor, Mahmud Pasha had the lattice built by the decorator Ilyas in 1579. On it is a silver plaque on which is inscribed a 32 distich poem in Turkish by the poet Mani. Under the lattice is a silver threshold with two steps. South of the Silver Cage right under the Green Dome is the marble sarcophagi of Mevlana and his son Sultan Veled. The sarcophagi are covered with gold-embroidered covers presented by Sultan Abdulhamid II in 1894.
The wooden sarcophagus which was constructed for Mevlana at the time the tomb was built is a masterpiece of Seljuk craftsmanship. Today this sarcophagus is over the grave of Mevlana’s father Sultan’ul-Ulema. On the west side of the Green Dome are the graves of Mevlana’s wife and children, sheiks of the Mevlana Dargah, and descendants of Mevlana, and to the east, there are more graves belonging to members of Mevlana’s family, totaling 65 sarcophagi in all. All the sarcophagi are covered with richly embroidered clothes.

You can continue to find more details fort he Konya Mevlana Museum in Chapter 4.