The Hacı Bektaş Veli Complex is the heart of the Alevi-Bektaşi tradition — a 13th-century dergah (lodge) and its surrounding buildings, now preserved as a museum. The complex includes a ceremonial kitchen (aşevi) where initiates were trained, a semah hall where ritual music and dance took place, and the türbe of Hacı Bektaş Veli himself — a domed tomb that serves as a place of active pilgrimage.
The architecture is austere and genuinely medieval, with carved wooden doors, tiled courtyards, and rooms furnished with the simple implements of dervish life. The museum displays are clear and well-labelled in Turkish and English, explaining Alevi-Bektaşi belief and its role in Ottoman social history. The Bektaşi order once ran a network of lodges across the empire and had a powerful influence on the Janissary corps. The complex is still an active place of spiritual significance for Alevi visitors, and the atmosphere is more devotional than touristic — remove shoes when entering, be respectful of people praying.