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.
