Against the Expression of Religion

Satirical Cartoon re: Laws banning Dervishes in Turkey in 1925 - 

This cartoon represents women pursuing allegedly nefarious activites such as learning the dervish tradition in a dervish lodge, and men being surprised. Women at this time in Turkish culture were expected to be virtuous. 

Men gathering to discuss the new laws banning religious affiliation, including laws against headwear for men and women. This included the "fez," a common headwear for men. 

There was one era when dervish lodges were banned in Istanbul; this was from 1925. Since then, the teaching and learning of the Mevlevi dance has been inhibited. This initiative was in order to decrease the effect of religion on politics. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has since capitalized on the tourism potential of the dervish dance, and sponsored dances in public spaces such as sports stadiums (1).

After this ban, most of the tekke (dervish lodges) were put out of commission, but Galata Mevlevihanesi remains one of the few still functional. As a result, we can say that perhaps the function of the lodge has changed over time, from more religious undertones to more tourist-pleasing ones, but it has retained symbolic lieu de mémoire properties as well. The symbolic merits of it now are more along the lines of, “We’re Turkish, and we have an interesting culture you should come see.”

Sources:

Dar Al Masnavi, of the Mevlevi Order. http://www.dar-al-masnavi.org/about-mevlevi-order.html