khanqah

A Sufi lodge is a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood or ''tariqa'' and is a place for spiritual practice and religious education. They include structures also known as ''khānaqāh'', ''zāwiya'', ''ribāṭ'', ''dargāh'' and ''takya'' depending on the region, language and period (see ). In Shia Islam, the Husayniyya has a similar function.

The Sufi lodge is typically a large structure with a central hall and smaller rooms on either side. Traditionally, the Sufi lodge was state-sponsored housing for Sufis. Their primary function is to provide them with a space to practice social lives of asceticism. Buildings intended for public services, such as hospitals, kitchens, and lodging, are often attached to them. Sufi lodges were funded by Ayyubid sultans in Syria, Zangid sultans in Egypt, and Delhi sultans in India in return for Sufi support of their regimes.

Terminology

Sufi lodges were called by various names depending on period, location and language: mostly, ''khānaqāh'', ''zāwiya'', ''ribāṭ'', ''dargāh'' and ''takya''.

The word ''khānaqāh'' ( or ; ; ; ; ; ) is likely either Turkish or Persian in origin.

The words ''zāwiya'' (; plural ) and ''ribāṭ'' (; plural: ) were especially used in the Maghreb. The literal meaning of ''zāwiya'' is 'corner', while ''ribāṭ'' means 'frontier guardpost'.

The Classical Persian word means 'doorway; shrine'.

The Classical Persian word (whence modern ; ; ; ; ) at its core meant "support"; also "cushion" or "pillow". The word was also borrowed in Ottoman Turkish as (modern ), eventually making its way into Arabic as (plural ) and in languages of the Balkans (; ).

Function

The patronage of Sufi lodges historically made an important political and cultural statement. The patronage of a Sufi building by a ruler showed their support for Sufi religious practices and the spreading of Islam. Funding a Sufi building was seen as an act of piety and a way in which the ruler could align themselves with public opinion.

Sufi lodges are often associated with tombs of Sufi saints or ''shaykh''s. Typically, they feature a large hall where practitioners could pray and meditate. They also include lodgings for traveling Sufis and pilgrims. In addition to their religious spaces, Sufi lodges also had structures for public services. This included hospitals, kitchens, bathhouses, and schools. Everyone working to provide these services was paid through a ''waqf''.

Sufi lodges have been very inclusive. Visitors from different cultures and religions could visit them and receive a blessing.

Traditionally, Sufi communal lives of asceticism were seen as pious because solitude and self-sufficiency were believed to lead to ego-centricity. Penitence and suffering were intended to bring Sufis closer to understanding divinity.

History

Zangid Syria

Nur ad-Din Zangi was the first large patron of Sufi structures, he built and gifted ''khānaqāh''s to Sufi groups in his dominion. In Damascus, ''khānaqāh''s were located inside as well as outside of the city walls. Under the Zangids, ''khānaqāh''s were very centrally located in Old Damascus, near the Umayyad Mosque. Khanaqahs are very commonly placed near a ''madrasa'' that is dedicated to the same patron as the ''khānaqāh''. The main purpose of the ''khānaqāh'' was for legal education. Most, including Nur ad-Din's ''khānaqāh'', included hospices. However, there was a deep interconnection between education and religion in Sufi buildings, by the end of the Mamluk period the distinction between religious and educational buildings became blurred.

Ayyubid and Mamluk Egypt

Saladin founded the first ''khānaqāh'' in Cairo, Egypt in 1173. This officially marked his defeat of the Fatimids, who were largely Shi'ite, and the beginning of the Ayyubid period of Sunnism. In 1325, the Mamluk sultan al-Nāṣir Muḥammad relocated the ''khānaqāh'' north of the city. Saladin changed the Sa'id al-Su'ada, a Fatimid palace, into a Sufi ''khānaqāh'' called al-Khānaqāh al-Ṣalāḥiyya (not to be confused with the Al-Khanqah al-Salahiyya Mosque in Jerusalem). This ''khānaqāh'' provided a place to stay for Sufis who were not from Cairo. It was provided by Saladin based on the exchange of Sufis supporting the Ayyubid dynasty and policies.

Saladin also created the role of the Chief Sufi, whose job was to operate activities from day to day and mentor the Sufis that lived in and visited the ''khānaqāh''. There was a lot of competition for this role due to its great degree of influence. The Chief Sufi maintained a close relationship with the Ayyubid Sultan, obtained military power and influence, and had the ability to teach at the ''madrasa''s in the area. The Sultan gave a large degree of power to the Sufis in Cairo as part of an important trade off for political support which was incredibly important in solidifying the legitimacy of the Sultan's rule. Scholars in the Mamluk world often did not differentiate between ''khānaqāh''s, ''ribāṭ''s, ''zāwiya''s, and ''madrasa''s.

Maghreb

In the Maghreb, Sufi lodges have been mostly known as ''zāwiya''s or ''ribāṭ''s.

زاوية سيدي قاسم الجليزي.jpg, The Zawiya of Sidi Qasim al-Jalizi in Tunis
Mosque of the Barber (Mausoleum of Sidi Sahabi).jpg, The Zawiya of Sidi Sahib in Kairouan (rebuilt in the 17th century)

Ottoman Empire

Many ''takya''s (; modern ) have been built in Turkey and in the countries which came under Ottoman rule. The Ottomans used the words ''takya'' (), ''dargāh'' () and ''zāwiya'' () instead of ''khānaqāh'' (). Among the Ottoman Sufi orders which had the most ''takya''s were the Mevlevi Order or ''Mawlawiyya'' and the Bektashi Order. The ''takya''s of the Mevlevi Order were called ''Mawlawī khāna''s ().

By the 20th century, Istanbul itself counted many ''takya''s. Some were dedicated to certain Muslim communities (for example, the Uzbeks' Takya or the Indians' Takya) which symbolized a certain recognition of these communities by the Ottomans.

Ottoman ''takya''s can be found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, North Macedonia, and Syria.

Takiyya as-Süleimaniyya Mosque 01.jpg, The Sulaymaniyya Takiyya in Damascus, Syria
Uzbek Dervish Lodge.jpg, The Uzbeks' Takya in Istanbul
Vrelo Bune i tekija.jpg, The Takya of Blagaj, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Iran

Many Sufi lodges existed in Iran during the Middle Ages. Examples include the Tohidkhaneh in Isfahan. After the Safavid conversion of Iran to Shia Islam, many Sufi lodges became used as '' ḥusayniyya''s (buildings where Shia Muslims gather to mourn the death of Husayn ibn Ali in the month of Muharram).

South Asia

In South Asia, the words ''khānaqāh'', ''jamāʿat-khāna'' (), ''takya'' (), ''dargāh'' (), ''langar'' (), and sometimes ''ʿimārat'' (). are used interchangeably for Sufi lodges.

The Madrasa-i-Firozshahi was built by Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq near Hauz-i-Alai. Its architecture was said to be so appealing to locals that they relocated to be closer to the complex. The ''khānaqāh-madrasa'' structure had educational opportunities for the pious, and teachers were paid with stipends. Its main purpose was to offer lodging for travelers.

The Khanaqah of Sayed Ghulam Ali Shah Mashadi in India was visited by and open to pilgrims from many different cultures around the world. ''Khānaqāh''s had '' langar-khāna''s, which served as free public kitchens for the poor sponsored by endowments from ''lakhiraj'' lands. Islamic values of equality and fraternity brought ''khānaqāh''s to provide services for members of the lowest castes. The popularity of ''khānaqāh''s declined in the early 14th century in India.

Architecture

Prior to the Timurid period, Sufi lodges were typically designed as large complexes with several structures. After the fourteenth century, they were more commonly designed as one large structure. This design is typically characterized by one large hall with cells or galleries on either side, allowing more interaction for those working in the lodge. They commonly have domes, mosaics, arches, columns, courtyards, portals, and minarets. The design and incorporation of these aspects varies by region and era.

See also

* Islamic architecture
* Ottoman architecture
* Architecture of Iran
* List of historical tekkes, zaviyes, and dergahs in Istanbul

Notes

References

Further reading

*
* Hattstein, M. and P. Delius — ''Islam: Art and Architecture'', 2000, .

External links

ḴĀNAQĀH
– ''Encyclopædia Iranica''
"Khanaqah" article in Oxford Islamic Studies Online
(archived)

{{Authority control

Sufi shrines
Sufism in India
Sufism in Pakistan
Islamic architecture
Ribats
Islamic terminology
Dhikr
Islamic education in India
Islamic education in Pakistan
Sufism in Iran