This is another mosque, with decent decoration at the entrance and on one side a sarcophagus that has been restructured into a çesme, a place to drink water. On its top the decoration on the sarcophagus’ lid shows a man milking an animal and a shepherd.

On the picture: The decorative stone work above the main entrance of the ‘Çöregibüyük Tekke’ mosque.
In the top, under the stalactite vaulting, a resting gazelle has been represented. The Turkish text refers to the restoration in 1957, when the Tekke/zaviye was turned into a mosque. The calligraphic inscription under it is a verse of the Persian poet Firdevsi, written in Persian. It dates from the early 14th century, when the region was under the rule of the Ilhanlı / Ilkhanids (= the Iran based Mongols).

Zaviye = a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood and was a place for spiritual retreat and character reformation. These places (‘hanegah’ or ‘zaviye’) often served as hospices for Sufi travelers and Islamic students. Important ‘zaviye’ are often referred to as ‘Tekke’.

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Source: ‘Tokat’ (Ersal Yavi) – Tokat Otelcilik ve Turizm A.Ş. (1986) .