Hacıbektaş

Hacı Bektaş Veli was a thirteenth-century mystic from Khorasan whose teaching - emphasising the inner meaning of religion, the equality of women and men in worship, and tolerance across confessions - became the basis of the Bektashi order and remains central to Alevi belief in Turkey and the Balkans. His lodge at what is now the town of Hacıbektaş grew into a large complex of courtyards, a kitchen, a meydan hall where the ceremonies were held, dervish cells and his domed tomb. The order was dissolved along with all the others in 1925 and the buildings became a museum in 1964, which is their present status, but for Alevi visitors this is a shrine rather than an exhibit and it should be treated as one. Every August a large commemoration brings tens of thousands to the town for ceremonies, music and semah, the turning dance, and accommodation for a hundred kilometres fills.

The main sights

• The tomb - the domed türbe of Hacı Bektaş Veli.
• The meydan hall - the ceremonial room of the lodge.
• The courtyards and kitchen - the working buildings of the tekke.
• The August commemoration - ceremonies, semah and crowds.

When to go

April to June and September to November for a quiet visit; mid-August for the commemoration, when the town is full and rooms must be booked far ahead.

What to expect

It is a museum by law and a shrine in practice - dress modestly, keep quiet in the tomb chamber and follow visitors' lead. Interpretation is largely in Turkish. August is extremely crowded.

Nearby

Avanos and the Cappadocian valleys are south; Kırşehir is north-west.