The Çilehane Camii is in fact an extensive complex with - apart from the mosque - a ‘Tekke’ of the Halveti Sufi Order annex ‘misafirhane’ (guesthouse), a türbe (tomb) and a ‘Çilehane’. It was built in 1413, in early Ottoman style, ordered by Yakup Paşa, a state official under sultan Mehmet I Çelebi. The building technique used alternating layers of natural stone and bricks. The 1939 earthquake left the complex heavily damaged; a comprehensive restoration in 1964 brought it back to its former impressive state.

On the picture: The complex seen from the East. The left half shows the Misafirhane with its six small rooms and chimneys, and the mosque’s high dome and minaret. The right half shows the secondary entrance, the long corridor running to the main entrance and the two domes of the Tekke: the lower dome covers a medium-sized room in the northeastern corner of the complex, and the other dome roofs over the Tekke’s main hall.

Sufism is defined by some adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam, others contend that it is a perennial philosophy of existence that pre-dates religion, the expression of which flowered within Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a sufi. They belong to different ‘orders’ - congregations formed around a master - which meet for spiritual sessions, in meeting places known as zawiyah, khanqahs, or (for the larger ones) tekke.

Çilehane (= House of ascesis) was where Sufis would go to pray in seclusion. Before being accepted as a full member, each novice of the Halveti Sufi Order had to stay in such seclusion in a Çilehane for forty days.

The Khalwati Order (or Halveti, as it is known in Turkey) is an Islamic Sufi brotherhood (tarika). Along with the Naqshbandi, Qadiri, Mevlewi and Shadhili orders, it is among the most famous Sufi orders. The order takes its name from the Arabic word khalwa, meaning ‘method of withdrawal or isolation from the world for mystical purposes.’ The order was founded by Umar al-Khalwati in the city of Herat (Western Afghanistan). However, it was Umar's disciple, Yahya Shirvani, who founded the “Khalwati Way.” The Halveti Order is known for its strict ritual training of its dervishes and its emphasis of individualism. Particularly, the order promoted individual asceticism and retreat, differentiating themselves from other orders at the time.

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Sources: ‘Vakıf Abideler ve eski Eserler’ - Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü, Ankara 1983 & Wikipedia.