HIGHLIGHTS
The Institution of Analık in Alevism
Analık, as a socio-religious role in Alevism, constitutes a significant component of the traditional and social structure of the Alevi belief system. It plays a...
Adam
Adam is the figure who is positioned in Raa Haqi creation narratives as the first human being, the ancestor of humanity, and the musahib of...
Zahir & Batın
This entry examines the cosmology of Dersim Alevism (Raa Haqi) through the distinction between Zahir - Na Dina (Neq Dina/Wa Dünya - this world)...
Kirvelik (1)
Kirvelik, in the context of Dersim Alevism (Raa Haqi), does not merely denote a symbolic form of kinship shaped around the circumcision ritual. Rather, it...
Tevhids and Münacats: A General Overview
Religious–Mystical Turkish Literature is a deeply rooted tradition that took shape with the acceptance of Islam and, over the centuries, has functioned both as a...
Kadıncık Ana
Kadıncık Ana is an important female figure in the Alevi-Bektashi-Kızılbaş belief, particularly associated with Hacı Bektaş Veli, whose memory has been transmitted through hagiographic narratives-most...
Ağuiçen/Ağuçan
The Ağuiçen (or Ağuçan) Ocak is one of the most well-known Alevi ocaks (spiritual lineages) in Anatolia. It stands out due to its wide geographical...
Roman (Gypsy) Alevis
Groups with diverse ethno-cultural characteristics such as "Rom", "Dom", "Lom", and "Blacksmith" communities largely use the term "Roman" in order to reduce the effects of...
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...
Kızılbaş (Kizilbash)
The Kizilbash movement emerged in fifteenth-century Anatolia through the transformation of the Safavid order and the convergence of various Sufi, dervish, and messianic currents. Recent...
A Brief Sketch of the Development of Alevi Studies
This is an annotated bibliography of the most significant contributions to Alevi studies, in chronological order from the mid-nineteenth century onwards. It identifies American Protestant...
Hızır / Xızır
In Alevism, Hızır (Xızır) is a meaningful and central figure around which revolve many myths, rituals, hymns, sacred places and lived experiences. It combines many...
ALEVISM THROUGH THE VOICES OF RELIGIOUS LEADERS
- Baba Sedat Bican
Taking Dem, Sâkilik, Taking Dem in the Cem Ritual, and Dem in Everyday Life – Baba Sedat Bican
In this video, Baba Sedat Bican discusses the practice of dem almak (“taking dem”) within the Alevi-Bektashi tradition. Contrary to the exclusionary and discriminatory claim...
- Pir Hüseyin Bildik
Naci and Naciye – The Enlightened Community – The Community of Light
In this video, Pir Hüseyin Bildik offers an in-depth discussion of Gurûh-ı Nâci and Gurûh-ı Nâciye, two foundational concepts of the Alevi creation narrative. Also...
- Ana Narin Gülçiçeği
The Gender of Cans
In this engaging video, Ana Narin Gülçiçeği addresses contemporary debates shaped around ikrar, musahiplik, and in particular the question of the “gender of cans.” Drawing...
- Pir Rıza Yağmur
Derviş Cemal Ocak – Alevi Uprisings, the Bābāʾīs, and Ocak Organization
In this video, Pir Rıza Yağmur offers a comprehensive examination of the historical origins of the Derviş Cemal Ocak and its place in Alevi religious...
- Pir Haydar Buğa
The Dersim Alevi Calendar, Gağan, the Xızır/Hızır Fast, Hewtemal – Black Wednesday, and the Month of Mourning
In this video, Pir Haydar Buğa provides a comprehensive discussion of the religious understanding of time known as the “Alevi calendar” in the tradition of...
- Pir Celal Fırat
Abdal Musa – the Abdal Musa Cem – Görgü Cem – İkrar – Kurban (Ritual Sacrifice)
In this video, Pir Celal Fırat provides a detailed explanation of the central position of Abdal Musa within the Alevi belief system and the meanings...
- Ana Cevahir Altunok
Jiare / Jare / Ziyaret – Feminine Sacred Places & the Dersim 38 Memorial (Berlin)
This video approaches the concept of jiare (ziyaret), one of the fundamental pillars of Alevi belief, from a women’s perspective. Female-centered pilgrimage sites located in...
- Pir Erkan Çanakçı
Deyiş & Nefes
In this section, Pir Erkan Çanakçı focuses on the fundamental forms of oral literature and music in the Alevi world of belief. He provides comprehensive...
- Pir Cemal Cenan
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...
- Pir Haydar Buğa
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,...
- Pir Hüseyin Bildik
Sır – Hakikat – Nesimi – Hallacı Mansur – Gurûh-ı Nâciye
In this video, Pir Hüseyin Bildik provides a comprehensive explanation of Sır, one of the most fundamental and constitutive concepts of Alevi teaching, through the...
- Ana Didar Cenan
The Service of Ocak Households to Talips and the Role of Women in Dersim Alevism
In this video, Ana Didar Cenan presents an internal and detailed account of the services provided by Ocak households to talips in Dersim Alevism. The...
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Call for Authors: Group V Entries for the Alevi Encyclopedia (Submission Deadline: 15 June 2026)
The Alevi Encyclopedia is now accepting new entry submissions for its sixth publication cycle, scheduled for release on 15 October 2026.
First Recordings of the Alevi Encyclopedia Open Lecture Series Completed in Berlin
The first recordings of the Alevi Encyclopedia Open Lecture Series, developed as the new educational platform of the Alevi Encyclopedia, were held on 11 and...
Alevi Encyclopedia Open Lecture Series Launches
Alevi Encyclopedia Open Lecture Series: Key Concepts and Contemporary Discussions in Alevi Studies will be launched in the fall term of 2026.
Alevi Encyclopedia’s Work on Multilinguality Published on Zenodo
The Alevi Encyclopedia’s work on multilinguality, digital archiving and oral history was presented within the framework of the workshop “Requirements Analysis in the Field of...
Alevi Encyclopedia Presented at the First International Congress of Alevi Studies (5–7 June 2026, Çorum, Türkiye)
The Alevi Encyclopedia was presented at the First International Congress of Alevi Studies, held in Çorum, Türkiye, on 5–7 June 2026. As the Encyclopedia’s first...
The Alevi Encyclopedia at the LSE Kurdish Studies Conference: Intersecting Fields, Shared Questions, and New Academic Dialogues
The Alevi Encyclopedia participated in the LSE Kurdish Studies Conference, bringing the intersections between Alevi Studies and Kurdish Studies into an international academic forum. Through...
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