One of the most important tekiyas (places for spiritual retreat) of the Mevlevi Sufi Order outside Turkey is located in the city of Yevpatoria (Gözleve) in the west of the Crimean Peninsula. Its complex comprises both the Shukurla-Efendi mosque and the tekiya building. Built in the 15th century, with extensions added up until the 18th century, the dome-shaped central building is enclosed by nineteen dark narrow cells used for solitary religious devotions which often last forty days (chilla) and during which a mystic seeks the intimacy of experiencing God’s proximity. It involves ascetic self-discipline, gradually increased fasting, vigils, frequently combined with intense meditation through the remembrance of God’s name (zikr). During renovation works, interments were discovered beneath the tekiya floor, suggesting that there may have been tombs within the tekiya complex.