Mevlanakapı (The Gate of the Mevlevi Lodges) has borne many names throughout history, each with its own story. The Byzantines called it the Rhesion Gate, and its name is mentioned on restoration inscriptions in Lento. Other Byzantine names include Polyandrion or Myriandrion (“Many Men” / “Thousand Men”), probably referring to the graveyards surrounding the gate.The Russians later referred to it as the “Russian Gate” due to their historical presence in the neighborhood. During the Byzantine period, the Russians, who had not yet converted to Christianity, settled around the city and rebelled to gain free access to it. In the end, they won this struggle and subsequently gave the gate the name of their own nation.Looking at the front gate, you can see a blank section of the inscription where a Byzantine heraldic emblem once stood, an eagle with two heads.Also, the Byzantines were fond of watching chariot races at the Hippodrome of Constantinople. There were four competing teams, each represented by a color: red, green, blue, and white. The staunch supporters of the red team lived around this area of the city walls, which is why the gate became known as “The Gate of the Reds.” As time passed, only two teams remained — the Greens and the Blues.The gate’s exclusive spirit found a curious echo centuries later in the Mevlevi dervishes. As part of their tradition, the whirling dervishes preferred to live away from the public eye, choosing seclusion over spectacle. They avoided areas where orthodox Islamic practices were dominant, which is why their lodges were often nestled near cemeteries, symbolically the opposite of this gate’s lively, worldly energy.Today, after meticulous restoration work by the local municipality, the gates welcome visitors once again. Within this newly renovated complex, a small photography exhibition awaits, with libraries offering free internet, tea, and water, located inside the tower on the left side of the second inner gate.