Arabati Baba Teќe
Dervish pavilion
Tetovo, Macedonia
This open-air structure in the center of the complex, called a şadrvan, is composed with two areas for Sufi dervish practices. The first space, the divanhane, has a central seven-sided marble fountain surrounded by a seven-sided wooden platform (minderi), a place for relaxation. The second area, called the semahane, is reserved for Sufi dervish rituals. The overall composition, woodwork and painted decorations are exceptional, and an overhanging clay-tiled roof provides shade. (The terminology is Turkish, and Sufism is an Islam movement.) (photo 1991)
