Becoming an Ana & Experiences and Challenges of Analık

This video addresses the current position and function of the institution of analık in the Alevi belief system through women’s experiences. Within Alevism, which is shaped around the concept of hizmet, the principle that “the yol passes through service” is recalled, while questioning how the position of pirlik has historically transformed into a male-dominated structure. Attention is drawn to the invisibility of anas in the processes of conducting religious practice. The obstacles preventing women from performing hizmet in institutional settings, the exclusionary attitudes faced by anas, and the criticisms directed at structures dominated by pirs are articulated in a candid manner. Inequalities, silences, and contradictions within social relations in Alevism and the Alevi community are rendered visible. The video presents a distinctive oral testimony that reminds us that women are not only those who serve but also subjects who “walk the yol” and “question the yol.”

This recording was made on 10–11 May 2025 at the Dortmund Alevi Cultural Center (DAKME), within the framework of the Pirler–Analar Workshop organized for the Alevi Encyclopedia project under the Rıza Şehri Academy.