Mevlevi Museum

Located on Girne Street, the Mevlevi Museum was opened to visitors on April 30, 1963, and is recognized as the first Turkish museum in Cyprus. It was organized in 1961 under the guidance of Konya Museum Director Mehmet Önder, with contributions from Cevdet Çağdaş. Only the semahane (ritual hall) and tomb sections of the original Mevlevi Lodge have survived to the present day. The museum consists of three rooms and an inner courtyard, displaying Mevlevi clothing, musical instruments, manuscripts, and reconstructions that reflect the Mevlevi lifestyle.

In the inner courtyard, Ottoman tombstones and inscriptions are exhibited. Historical records indicate that the original Mevlevi Lodge included a semahane, tomb, dervish cells, kitchen, guest rooms, and a large garden with a fountain and fruit trees. After restoration work began in 2000, the building was reopened as the Mevlevi Museum on December 17, 2002, coinciding with the “Şeb-i Arus” commemoration. The most recent restoration and landscaping were completed in 2025, and today the museum continues to serve as a cultural site exhibiting artifacts related to the Mevlevi tradition in Cyprus.