Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
have been supporters of the Orthodox Church, which was nonetheless allowed to continue
with its business, despite the Catholic dominance of religious life in Cyprus.
Explanatory panels outline the restoration works and the history of the building. Cur-
rently, the Bedesten is used primarily as a cultural centre.
Belediye Pazarı
MARKET
This is a fantastic place to check out local produce and local characters; the market bustles
with action. Bargaining is rife and sellers either shout out their offers to shoppers or sleep
on the counters amid piles of vegetables and fruit. There's also an area with souvenirs;
don't forget to bargain.
Mevlevi Shrine Museum
MUSEUM
(Mevlevi Tekke Müzesi;
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Girne Cad; adult/child 5/3TL;
h
9am-12.30pm & 1.30-4.45pm Jun-mid-
Sep, shorter hours rest of the year)
The Mevlevi Shrine Museum is a former 17th-century
tekke
(Muslim shrine) of the mystic
Islamic sect known as the Mevlevi order or, more famously, the whirling dervishes. Their
spiritual philosophy, which started in the Turkish town of Konya, is based on the mystical
branch of Islam called Sufism. This fascinating museum also houses a room with the
coffins of the 16 Mevlevi sheiks.
The most captivating part of the museum is the former kitchen of the
tekke,
the centre
of the hierarchical order in which the dervishes lived and moved from 'interns' to achiev-
ing dervish status. Each new intern would have to prove himself worthy by taking on the
role of a kitchen servant for several years; at meal times, he would silently stand in the
corner, watching out for subtle signals indicating the dervishes' needs. Lifting a piece of
bread indicated that the dervish was thirsty and more water was needed.
Outside in the courtyard is a collection of Muslim tombstones.
Dervish Pasha Museum
MUSEUM
(Derviş Paşa Konaği;
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Beliğ Paşa Sk; adult/child 5/3TL;
h
9am-12.30pm & 1.30-4.45pm Jun-mid-
Sep, shorter hours rest of the year)
This small ethnographic museum is housed in a 19th-century mansion. Built in 1807, it
belonged to a wealthy Turkish Cypriot, Derviş Paşa, who published Cyprus' first Turkish-
language newspaper. The house became an ethnographic museum in 1988. Household
goods, including an old loom, glassware and ceramics, are displayed in former servants'
quarters on the ground floor. Upstairs is a rich display of embroidered Turkish costumes.
