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Indigeneity and Alevism

This entry examines Alevism as an indigenous identity within Turkey’s ethnically and religiously diverse context. Historically one of the most contested concepts in the region,…

Necropolitical Violence and Alevis

The concept of necropolitical violence offers valuable potential for clarifying the meaning and significance of the Alevi community’s status as an oppressed minority and its…

Apsu (Abşu, Avsu)

“Apsu” (Kırmanckî/Kurmancî: Avsu, Abşu, Absu) is a ritual practice within the Dersim belief system that carries functions of protection, purification, and healing. Apsu is also…

Alevis and Civil Society

Since the 1980s, Turkish Alevism has taken shape largely within the organisational matrix of civil society. The transformation from rural, community-oriented ritual practice to the…

Ahl-é Haqq (Ehli Heq, Ahl-é-Haqîqat, Yarsanism, Kaka‘i)

Yarsanism, also known as Ahl-e Haqq, is a syncretic belief that combines various mystical and gnostic traditions with Islamic, Mazdean, and ancient Kurdish elements. The…

Dersim - Jiar u Diyar (Sacred Geography)

This entry reconceptualises Dersim not as a mere geographic or administrative region but as a sacred-political topography (a cultural geography) central to the Raa Haqi…

Şavak Tribe: Alevi–Sunni Nomadic Community of Dersim

The Şavak tribe occupies a distinctive position within the ethno-cultural mosaic of Dersim, both historically and sociologically. As one of the rare cases in which…

Hako Sûr: A Springtime Ritual among Kurdish Alevis & Armenians in Dersim

Hako Sûr, also known as the Red Egg Festival, is a now largely forgotten springtime tradition that was once practised by Kurdish Alevi communities in…

Gağan (1)

Gağan (Khal / Kalo Gaxan, Gaxand, Gaxan) is a religious-magical transition ritual unique to Kurdish Alevi communities in Dersim, symbolically marking the end of the…

Splendor and Light of God: Sun Worship Among the Raa Haq Followers and Their Neighbors

The sun is the star closest to Earth and forms the center of the solar system. Solar radiation is one of the basic prerequisites for…

Ağuçan Ocak

In this video, Pir Cemal Cenan, an Ocak member of the Ağuçan Ocak and an active pir, presents an insider perspective on how Ocak memory...

Cem / Cıvat, Musahiplik, Ana Kapısı in Alevism, Ağuçan Ocak

In this video, Pir Cemal Cenan, a pir affiliated with the Ağuçan Ocak, explains from an insider perspective the principle “yol incineceğine can incinsin”, one...

Marriage and the Marriage Ceremony in Alevism, Musahiplik, and the Deyiş & Gülbenk Recited during the Ceremony

In this video, Pir Cemal Cenan explains the institution of marriage and religious marriage (nikâh) in Alevism from an insider perspective, together with the rituals...

Funeral Rituals in Alevism, Deyiş and Dua, and Mıle/Molla in the Dersim Alevi Tradition – Pir Cemal Cenan

In this video, Pir Cemal Cenan speaks about funeral rites in Dersim Alevism and clarifies the phenomenon of molla/mıle, an institutional figure that is still...

Ancestor Worshipping in Alevism, Sacred Places (Jiare), Kalu Bela, and Devr-i Daim – Pir Cemal Cenan

In this video, Pir Cemal Cenan speaks about the culture of jiare (sacred places/visits) in Dersim Alevism and explains this belief practice from an insider...

Derviş Cemal Ocak

In this video, Pir Haydar Buğa provides a detailed account of the Derviş Cemal Ocak, one of the significant Ocaks in the tradition of Dersim...

Gülbenk, Deyiş, Nefes, Raa Haqi, Dersim, and Kırmancki Prayer – Pir Haydar Buğa

In this video, Pir Haydar Buğa examines in detail the central importance of deyiş, nefes, and gülbenk in Alevism. He emphasizes that the ethical codes,...

Herdu Dewreş, Xızır/Hızır, Duzgı, Munzur, Dersim, Raa Haqi, and Kırmancki Prayer – Pir Haydar Buğa

In this video, Pir Haydar Buğa offers a detailed explanation of Herd-u Dewreş (the land or abode of the dervish), one of the key concepts...

Nature and Alevis, Jiar u Diyar, Herd u Dewreş, Raa Haqi, Xızır/Hızır, Jiare, Ziyaret, and Sacred Place – Pir Haydar Buğa

In this video, Pir Haydar Buğa offers a detailed explanation of the concept of Herd-u Dewreş (the land or abode of the dervish) in Dersim...

Gağan, Khal u Fatık, Dersim, Raa Haqi, Nature and Alevism, and the Alevi Calendar – Pir Haydar Buğa

In this video, Pir Haydar Buğa offers a detailed account of the Gağan rituals in Dersim Alevism and of the performative play Khal u Fatık,...
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