After meeting at 9:30 AM in front of the Galata Mevlevi Lodge, we embark on a journey into the hidden history of centuries-old Sufi tradition in Istanbul. Our first stop will be the Galata Mevlevi Lodge. Following our visit, after learning about the customs, rituals, procedures, clothing, and daily belongings of the Sufi world, we continue towards Karaköy via Galip Dede Street, examining the surrounding buildings. After examining the historical development of Galata-Karaköy and the way Sufis lived in Istanbul, we take a beautiful sea voyage to Üsküdar, which is intertwined with Ottoman history. With a short walk, we will temporarily open the curtain on the door of nothingness within us and visit the tomb of Aziz Mahmud Hudai, a Sufi who was followed by the Sultans. After receiving spiritual enlightenment on the "Hudai" path, we continue with another short sea voyage to our final destination of the day, Beşiktaş. Located right in the middle of the Bosphorus, yet so far removed from everyday life, we visit the tomb of the revered scholar Aziz Yahya Efendi, whose wisdom has captured the hearts of many.
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar describes the tomb of Aziz Yahya Efendi as follows: "Divine forgiveness, in the Yahya Efendi Dervish Lodge, almost takes on a beautiful human face. Death here, in this garden which can be reached by just two or three steps and a couple of steps, is so close to life that it can be considered a kind of path to enlightenment or a garden of love." He says that everyone living in Istanbul is luckier than everyone else in the world. In that sense, may love be with Istanbul.
