Donenler Mosque

Donenler Mosque

The Dönenler Mosque, also known as Dönenler Camii, is a Sufi dervish tekke that dates back to the 14th century. Located opposite the Ulu Mosque, this mosque was built at the behest of Mevlana Celaleddini Rumi, serving as the "Semahane" of Mevlevihane.

Donenler Mosque

It is considered one of the earliest examples of Turkish architecture, and the semahane and dervish rooms have survived to this day. The mosque, which now functions as a place of worship, has a quadrilateral plan, and adjacent to it stands a small burial dome known as Kütahya's Seljuks period conqueror Hazer Dinari tomb, which was built under his orders.

Sitting at an altitude of 917 meters, the Dönenler Camii underwent restorations in 1812 under Sultan Mahmud II and in 1841 under Abdülmecid I. Following Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's outlawing of all Sufi orders in 1925, the mosque was closed. However, it underwent restoration in 1959 and was once again opened for worshipers.

The interior of the mosque is truly beautiful. The round prayer hall, where Sema ceremonies were held during the day, is a particular highlight. Musicians would sit on the balcony level, and the site's inscription commemorating the mosque's repairs in the 19th century and Quran script around the bottom of the balcony are also worth seeing. One notable feature is the oddly shaped column capitals.