Abstract:

Cemalettin Server Revnakoğlu, who conducted important research on the history of Istanbul dervish lodges and tariqas, also created a large archive consisting of many documents and items related to the subject. Many documents about Bektashism in his archive are disorganized and not published. The scope of this study includes Baba İbrahim, Baba Hasan Basri, Baba Tevfik, Ali Fethi Beybaba, and Ali Bey—Bektashi fathers whose biographies have been compiled by Revnakoğlu. His notes also addressed Bektashi aspects in the sheikhs and dervish lodges of Rifa‘iyya, Celvetiyya, Khalwatiyya, Mevleviyya, Ussakiyya, and Naqshibandiyya-Khalidiyya tariqas; specifically, he mentioned Baba Ziya, who was the sheikh of Üsküdar Rifa‘i Dervish Lodge, and Molla Bey, from Kubbeli Dervish Lodge in Rifa‘iyya; Baba Haşim in Celvetiyya, Dede Ramiz in Khalwatiyya, Abdülvahid Çelebi in Mevleviyya, Baba Emin from Yedikule Ussaki Dervish Lodge and his caliph Fahreddin Himmeti Efendi in Ussakiyya, and Sheikh Mustafa Efendi in Naqshibandiyya-Khalidiyya. Revnakoğlu, who had a special interest in Sufism, met many sheikhs and visited most of the dervish lodges and zawiyas due to both his duties and special interest. His father, Mr. Server, who fed off Baba Nafi (sheikh of Rumelihisarı Bektashi Dervish Lodge) also helped Revnakoğlu establish close relations with the Sufi community. As a result, he conveyed his own observations and the testimonies of the people around him in his writings. 

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