Azerbaijani First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva visits Mevlana Museum in Konya PHOTO

On August 9, Azerbaijani First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva and Heydar Aliyev Foundation's Vice-President Leyla Aliyeva visited the Mevlana Museum in Konya, Türkiye.

The head of Konya's Culture and Tourism Department Abdulsattar Yarar informed First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva and Heydar Aliyev Foundation's Vice-President Leyla Aliyeva about the museum, Caliber.Az reports citing Azertag.

It was noted that the museum of one of the most prominent Sufis of the Turkic and Islamic world, Mevlana Jalaladdin Rumi, located in the Karatai district of Konya, has been functioning since 1926 in the complex of buildings where Mevlana lived. This centre of culture is also known as the "Tomb of Mevlana". The mausoleum is 25 metres high and is built on four massive pillars called elephant legs. The main dome of the mausoleum is turquoise in colour, so it is called the "Turquoise Dome". The upper part of the tomb, which has the shape of a pyramid inside, open on three sides, and closed with walls from the south, is painted in the colour of golden stars, and its bases are in various colours. In the upper part of the dome, a white line says "Bismillah" and "Ayatul Kursu".

It was reported that the museum contains two graves – Mevlana and his son Sultan Veled. Unique items donated during the Ottoman period are displayed here. The exposition has four doors – "Dervish", "Hamushan", "Chelebiyan" and "Pir". In front of the mausoleum, there is a silver cage built by one of the statesmen of the Ottoman period, Mahmud Pasha.

It was emphasised that the mosque located in the complex displays manuscripts related to the Karamanogullari period and the Ottoman period, copies of the Koran, prayer mats painted with Mesnevi couplets and miniature manuscripts.

It is emphasised that the room, called "Tilavet", currently functions as a section where samples of the art of calligraphy are exhibited. The exhibition presents the boards of such famous calligraphers of the Ottoman period as Mahmud Jalaladdin, Mustafa Rahim, Hulusi, Izzet, Yesarizad, Sultan Mahmud II.

The Dakhil-i Ushshag hall is entered through the silver gate. In its northern part, covered with three domes, there are tombs of "saints from Khorasan" (Khorasan erleri) and silver lamps.

In conclusion, the mutual presentation of gifts took place.