Cem and Cemevis in Alevism
In this video, Pir Veli Uğur offers a critical evaluation of the cem ritual, the most central form of worship in Alevi belief, by addressing both its historical and contemporary dimensions. The cem is defined not as an ordinary act of worship, but as a practice of reaching hakikat, calling oneself to account (dara çekmek), and being questioned before the community.
Pir provides detailed explanations of the spatial meaning, physical arrangement, and symbolic functions of cemevis, where cem rituals are performed today. He emphasizes that cemevis should not be understood merely as architectural buildings, but as sacred spaces that represent the dimension of “confronting hakikat” within Alevi religious practice.
The twelve services (12 hizmet), the individuals who perform them, and the symbolic roles, codes of meaning, and cosmological references embedded in the ritual as a whole make visible the Alevi emphasis on essence rather than form. While explaining core concepts such as varlık, hakikat, and ikrar through the cem, Pir also discusses the kind of inner transformation process that the cem ritual offers within the Alevi intellectual system.
The video goes beyond a technical explanation of the cem ritual and includes advice and critical reflections addressed to the Alevi community. It offers a profound invitation to reflect on the meanings of worship, belief, and communal life. In this respect, the recording serves as an important repository of memory and guidance on Alevi ethics, spirituality, and ontology through the lens of the cem.
This recording was made on 27 June 2025 at the CAN TV studios in Cologne. Interviews were conducted within the framework of the Alevi Encyclopedia project.
Pir provides detailed explanations of the spatial meaning, physical arrangement, and symbolic functions of cemevis, where cem rituals are performed today. He emphasizes that cemevis should not be understood merely as architectural buildings, but as sacred spaces that represent the dimension of “confronting hakikat” within Alevi religious practice.
The twelve services (12 hizmet), the individuals who perform them, and the symbolic roles, codes of meaning, and cosmological references embedded in the ritual as a whole make visible the Alevi emphasis on essence rather than form. While explaining core concepts such as varlık, hakikat, and ikrar through the cem, Pir also discusses the kind of inner transformation process that the cem ritual offers within the Alevi intellectual system.
The video goes beyond a technical explanation of the cem ritual and includes advice and critical reflections addressed to the Alevi community. It offers a profound invitation to reflect on the meanings of worship, belief, and communal life. In this respect, the recording serves as an important repository of memory and guidance on Alevi ethics, spirituality, and ontology through the lens of the cem.
This recording was made on 27 June 2025 at the CAN TV studios in Cologne. Interviews were conducted within the framework of the Alevi Encyclopedia project.
Interviewer
- Ahmet Kerim Gültekin
