Oldest painting of Alevi dervish up for auction

ISTANBUL

An important 17th-century painting of a prominent Muslim mystic will be put up for sale by an auction house in the Netherlands on June 8.

The 1651 painting of Haji Bektash Veli, a prominent Alevi religious figure who lived and taught in Anatolia from 1209 to 1271, will be auctioned on June 8 by the Oriental Art Auction House in the Dutch city of Hattem.

Measuring 22 x 17 centimeters and believed to be the oldest existing painting of the Muslim icon, the portrait also includes a depiction of Sarı Saltuk, a 13th-century Alevi dervish venerated as a saint by the Bektashis in the Balkans.

There is also a dragon motif representing the “desire of man” near the duo in the portrait.

The portrait is expected to sell for an estimated price of between 20,000 and 30,000 euros, according to Khalid Alneis, the owner and managing director of the auction house.

In addition to the portrait, an Ottoman silver, niche and engraved globe clock bearing the signature of Sultan Abdulhamid from the 19th century will also be auctioned on the same day.