Abstract:

Importance of archives for historical researches is well known. Especially, finding and revealing documents in private archives are even more important in this respect. The foundation document that constitutes topic of this article is regulated by Mehmed Emin Kerkükî in 1216/1801 and composed for Eminiye Dervish Lodge founded by him in Bursa. Immigrating from his birthplace and after visiting Urfa and Istanbul, Kerkükî has reached Bursa and there, next to the Mosque of Veled-i Habib, he founded a dervish lodge affiliated to Nakşibendiye order. In his lodge, besides teaching Nakşibendi tradition to his disciples, he also made them study Mesnevi. He trained individuals who made important contributions to Ottoman intellectual life in the 19th century. After serving as an active lodge until 1925, it was later converted into a residence and in recent years it is being planned to restore the building and employ it as a social services building. Archive of the lodge is being held by a family from Bursa. The foundation document was found in this archive and evaluated in this article. 

Keywords: