Karataş: Bektashi Structures and Ottoman Architecture

For travelers interested in Bektashi structures, Karataş offers a specific cultural and historical theme: the Dediği-Yeter-Sultan Türbe, the Kazak-Abdal Türbe, and the Dediği-Sultan Dergahı. The two türbes are relics of Ottoman Bektashi culture. The Dediği-Sultan Dergahı is one of the structures of the Bektashi order and an architectural relic from the Ottoman period. The sites share a connection to Bektashi heritage, but their floor plans, room sequences, and structural elements differ considerably.

Two Türbes, Different Floor Plans

The Dediği-Yeter-Sultan Türbe has a rectangular floor plan and two rooms. The entrance is on the south side. A double-leaf wooden door leads from the entrance room into the burial chamber; a niche is located in the northern part of the chamber. This creates a clear sequence of spaces: from the entrance into the first room, then through the wooden door into the burial chamber. Both this connection and the location of the niche are important for understanding the architecture. The niche is inside the burial chamber, while the entrance provides access to the first room.

The Kazak-Abdal Türbe has a square floor plan. Its entrance is on the south side, and a window is on the north side. A later-sealed fireplace is on the west side. The sarcophagus is oriented east-west; the structure also has a hipped roof and rubble-stone masonry. The fireplace’s location, the sarcophagus’s orientation, and the sides on which the entrance and window are located provide different points of reference. Unlike the Dediği-Yeter-Sultan Türbe, the focus here is not on two connected rooms, but on the square form and the structural elements described.

The Dergahı’s Layout

The Dediği-Sultan Dergahı also has a rectangular floor plan, but it is arranged differently. Its central hall runs east-west, with three rooms on each side of the hall. The complex is thus organized around a central space, with six rooms arranged alongside it. Its layout differs from that of the two-room Dediği-Yeter-Sultan Türbe: there, a double-leaf wooden door connects the entrance room and burial chamber; here, the central hall and side rooms structure the floor plan.

The Kazak-Abdal Türbe is located in Karataş Mahallesi, Yukarı Tekke, Pamukkale. The Dediği-Sultan Dergahı lies west of the Kazak-Abdal Türbe and is also in Karataş Mahallesi. This spatial relationship provides a specific point of reference between the two structures, alongside their architectural differences.

One Shared Cultural Theme, Three Architectural Forms

The comparison involves two different aspects: their connection to Bektashi heritage links the structures culturally, while their floor plans and spatial arrangements distinguish them architecturally. Among the türbes, the rectangular, two-room layout of the Dediği-Yeter-Sultan Türbe can be contrasted with the square floor plan of the Kazak-Abdal Türbe. The Dergahı adds another arrangement, with its central hall and rooms on either side. You can therefore consider the sites as examples of a shared cultural theme while also distinguishing their respective architectural features.

Discover more destinations: Akköy, Acıpayam, Kale, Mecidiye, Bozkurt, Arıkaya, Karşıyaka Mahallesi, Güney

For the overview of the wider region: Denizli.