The area where the cemetery is located is also known as Pehlivan Cemalettin Tekke. The tekke, which is affiliated to the Naqshbandi order, was built by Pehlivan Cemalettin (Küştigiran). It is mentioned by Evliya Çelebi as an area where pehlivans used to have fun and wrestle and where the belongings of old pehlivans were exhibited outside. The lodge, which was dilapidated over time, was rebuilt in 1890; but it has not survived to the present day. In 1956, after the studies carried out in the area, which was accepted as the Pehlivanlar Cemetery, there are the graves of Ottoman Period pehlivans such as Pehlivan Cemalettin, Ali Efendi, Mehmet Ağa as well as the graves of recent pehlivans such as Kara Emin.