Tomb of Cemel Ali Dede

The Tomb of Cemel Ali Dede, located in the Meram district of Konya, used to be a complex where there was a small mosque, tomb, zawiya, school, hamam and tekke, but today it consists of only a small mosque and an adjacent tomb. It is also known as 'Tekkebağı Masjid' due to its proximity to an old Mevlevi garden. The lower floor of the tomb, whose construction date is unknown, is the burial section, and the upper floor is the area where the sarcophagi are located. What makes this tomb special and different from others is the beauty of the turquoise tiles surrounding the tomb and the sarcophagi inside. There are seven sarcophagi in total in the tomb, the fourth of which is attributed to Cemel Ali Dede.

Cemel Ali is one of the saints who lived in Konya during the Seljuk period. Mevlana's father, Sultanül Ulema (Bahaeddin Veled), is one of the names that came to Konya. He is originally from Transoxiana and is Mevlana's lala (person responsible for his care and education). According to one account, he was given the name 'Cemel', which means 'camel', because he entertained Mevlana by imitating a camel in his childhood.

Images: anatoludabugun, Hürriyet, Kalemisi Dergisi