The Four Elements, Çar Anasır, the Four Gates and Forty Stations in Alevism
In this video, Pir Hasan Aygün explains the concept of Çar Anasır, which frequently appears in Alevism, through the four basic elements of nature: air, fire, water, and earth. According to Aygün, nature, life, and human existence cannot be imagined without these four elements. For this reason, Çar Anasır is not only a cosmological symbol. It is also a foundational teaching in the Alevi belief world, connected with goodness, truth, righteousness, and the basic principles of the Yol.
In the video, the teaching of Çar Anasır is discussed through the unity of human beings, nature, and belief. Aygün emphasises that Alevism is a human-centred belief system, but that the human being is not understood as separate from nature and other living beings. Praying towards the sun in the morning, turning the face of those who have passed on towards the sun, and always giving a share to nature and living beings in both blood and non-blood forms of kurban are presented as examples of this holistic understanding. Aygün also explains the gates of Şeriat, Tarikat, Marifet, and Hakikat in the teaching of the Dört Kapı Kırk Makam, drawing attention to the relationship between the four elements and Alevi rituals, ethics, and the search for truth.
This recording was made on 18 April 2026 at Alevitische Gemeinde und Cemevi e.V. (Lange Streng 12, 65462 Ginsheim-Gustavsburg), near Frankfurt, as part of the “In the Words of the Spiritual Guides” series of the Alevi Encyclopedia.
In the video, the teaching of Çar Anasır is discussed through the unity of human beings, nature, and belief. Aygün emphasises that Alevism is a human-centred belief system, but that the human being is not understood as separate from nature and other living beings. Praying towards the sun in the morning, turning the face of those who have passed on towards the sun, and always giving a share to nature and living beings in both blood and non-blood forms of kurban are presented as examples of this holistic understanding. Aygün also explains the gates of Şeriat, Tarikat, Marifet, and Hakikat in the teaching of the Dört Kapı Kırk Makam, drawing attention to the relationship between the four elements and Alevi rituals, ethics, and the search for truth.
This recording was made on 18 April 2026 at Alevitische Gemeinde und Cemevi e.V. (Lange Streng 12, 65462 Ginsheim-Gustavsburg), near Frankfurt, as part of the “In the Words of the Spiritual Guides” series of the Alevi Encyclopedia.
Interviewer
- Dr. Ahmet Kerim Gültekin
