Sufi lodge

[1] They include structures also known as khānaqāh, zāwiya, ribāṭ, dargāh and takya depending on the region, language and period (see § Terminology).

[4][5] The Sufi lodge is typically a large structure with a central hall and smaller rooms on either side.

[8][6][9] Sufi lodges were called by various names depending on period, location and language: mostly, khānaqāh, zāwiya, ribāṭ, dargāh and takya.

[citation needed] The patronage of Sufi lodges historically made an important political and cultural statement.

[12] Traditionally, Sufi communal lives of asceticism were seen as pious because solitude and self-sufficiency were believed to lead to ego-centricity.

[6] This officially marked his defeat of the Fatimids, who were largely Shi'ite, and the beginning of the Ayyubid period of Sunnism.

[6] 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).

[20] The Chief Sufi maintained a close relationship with the Ayyubid Sultan, obtained military power and influence, and had the ability to teach at the madrasas in the area.

[22] The takyas of the Mevlevi Order were called Mawlawī khānas (Ottoman Turkish: مولوی خانه‌لر, romanized: Mevlevî haneler, lit.

[25] Ottoman takyas can be found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, North Macedonia, and Syria.

[9] The Khanaqah of Sayed Ghulam Ali Shah Mashadi in India was visited by and open to pilgrims from many different cultures around the world.

[8] Khānaqāhs had langar-khānas, which served as free public kitchens for the poor sponsored by endowments from lakhiraj lands.

[7] Islamic values of equality and fraternity brought khānaqāhs to provide services for members of the lowest castes.

[7] Prior to the Timurid period, Sufi lodges were typically designed as large complexes with several structures.

[3] 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.

The Haruniyeh Tomb, named after Harun al-Rashid , in Tus , Iran. The present structure, a khānaqāh , was probably built in the 13th century. Al-Ghazali is buried here.
The Tohidkhaneh , a medieval khānaqāh in Isfahan , Iran