Budali Hodja Tekke, Sufi tekke in Thermes, Xanthi regional unit, Greece
The Budali Hodja Tekke is a Sufi lodge in Thermes, Xanthi regional unit, near Greece's border with Bulgaria. Its complex comprises a türbe (mausoleum), a gathering hall and a domed hammam fed by a nearby hot spring at 40–41 °C. A recent renovation funded by Saudi Arabia, using İznik-style tiles from Kütahya, Turkey, altered the original form; only the domed hammam section survives as a reminder of it.
The Budala Hodja Tekke is a Bektashi Sufi lodge from the Ottoman period (c. 1450–1820) in Thermes, Xanthi, near the Greek-Bulgarian border. A recent renovation funded by Saudi Arabia, using Iznik-style tiles from Kütahya, Turkey, destroyed its original form according to historian Heath W. Lowry of Princeton; only the domed hammam kept its original shape.
The tekke was a gathering place for Bektashi dervishes during the Ottoman Empire. Its name honours Budala Hodja, and the complex includes a türbe and a domed hammam fed by a hot spring at 40–41 °C. The 2010s renovation, funded by Saudi Arabia, added İznik-style tiles from Kütahya, Turkey.
The site is accessible, but visitors should check opening times in advance and wear appropriate clothing as a sign of respect for the location. Access can depend on local conditions and contacting ahead is recommended.
Near the building stands a domed bathhouse that uses water from a natural hot spring. This traditional bath shows a feature of the area that visitors often overlook, even though it is part of the religious complex.
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