The Period Of Şeyh Ali Celâleddin Çelebi The Mevlevî Lodge Afyonkarahisar (1894-1918)

Afyonkarahisar, in which the grandchildren of Mevlânâ Celâledin Rûmî (Jalal al-Din al-Rumi) have still been living, is an important center in the history of Mevlevî teaching. Especially in the 15th and 16th centuries, at the period of Divane Mehmet Çelebi( 1546 or 1547) ,this Mevlevî Lodge underlined once more its specialty of being ?the most important Mevlevî Lodge after Konya?.Ali Celâleddin Çelebi who is one of the grandsons of Mevlânâ was a Sheikh between the years 1894-1918. Afyonkarahisar Mevlevî Lodge provided financial and military support to the Ottoman Army during the Balkan War and First World War which was broke out in the period of Ali Celâleddin Çelebi. Tough it was burnt up completely in 1902, it was reconstructed under the harsh circumstances and was considered as one of the privileged foundations despite the law ?Emvâl-i Gayrı- Menkûle? about mysticism, issued at the period of Sultan Dîvânî it has been concerned as one of the privileged foundations.After the death of Celâleddin Çelebi in 1918 this Mevlevî Lodge carried on its activity until 1925 in which the law of abolition of dervish lodges was put in force.Key words: Mevlânâ, Ali Celâleddin Çelebi, Afyonkarahisar Mevlevi Lodge Mevlevîlik.