Tekkes
(Redirected from Dergah)
A Tekke (Turkish: تكيه tekke, tekye; Albanian teqe; Arabic زاوية zāwiya, pl. زوايا zawāyā; Persian درگاه dargāh bzw. خانگاه chānegāh und خانقاه chāneghāh) is a center of Sufi rituals and is also meant to serve as a place of protection, asylum and for retreat. The Tekke has often been compared to a Christian monastery.
Dhikr ceremonies mainly take place at tekkes, these ceremonies consist of the chanting of the 99 Names of Allah; in addition, a tekke can serve as a place of study or for other work.
Emergence
The age of the prophet Muhammad is considered generally to have been the "golden age Islam", in which the Muslims at that time lived in conformity with the laws of the still young religion. This situation changed however rather quickly after the death of the Prophet, when Islam began to spread across North Africa and Asia. The nature of Islam was altered as local traditions were melded with the teachings of Muhammad by new populations.
In order to protest against this situation, Sufis began to lead an ascetic lifestyle. They would meet in larger houses or simply in open areas, in order to hold common services. However, these places would often be open to the public and to disturbance, gradually tekkes developed to remedy this situation.
According to usual opinion, the first tekke was established around 767 in Damascus. More tekkes would later be established in Iraq and Khorasan, gradually spreading across the Islamic World.
Structure of a Tekke
The architectural style of a tekke is usually simple. All tekkes, regardless of size, possess a large main area, called a sama'hana. In this, dhikr ceremonies take place, as do the ritual prayers (Salat. Larger tekkes often have additional areas. For example, some possess sama'hanas divided into different sections, including some reserved for musicians who play music during the Dhikr rituals. Some tekkes also house small dwellings for the Sheikh and his family. Larger tekkes have smaller cells that allow for dhikr to be done on a smaller scale.
Some tekkes, such as those used for charitable purposes, have large additional premises or separate buildilngs. One example is the Miskinler Tekkesi in Istanbul, which also has a large hospital for lepers.
Within larger tekke complex, there are sometimes facilites present that allow for continual dhikr that lats for over 40 days in absolute isolation. Other large tekkes, such as those that are the center of a tariqa, often house the tomb of the tariqa's founder or other notable members. Such tekkes become cites of pilgrimage for some Muslims.
When Turkey became a republic all Tekkes were closed. Some however, remain open but now function of regular Mosques rather than Sufi meeting places. In other countries, tekkes continue to function in the same way that they have for centuries.de:Tekke