The Alevi Encyclopedia project, initiated in April 2024 under the leadership of the Rıza Şehri Academy, aims to compile knowledge about Alevism from its own sources; to systematically classify, examine, and convey existing written sources to the reader in a holistic and understandable way; and to make this knowledge accessible to the global public today and in the future, via a platform compatible with the technological requirements of the 21st century.
The Alevi Encyclopedia is a digital platform created to be an indispensable knowledge forum that will help eliminate all obstacles and threats to Alevism’s historical existence. It aims to concretize the academic and intellectual knowledge accumulated particularly over the last 30 years, to express Alevism with its own voice, concepts, thoughts, and feelings, and, from this framework, to compile Alevi-knowledge and transmit it to new generations, researchers, and scientists without distortion or destruction.
WHY AN ENCYCLOPEDIA?
Encyclopedias differ from dictionaries and collected works in their wide scope, writing style, and function. Since they took shape in 18th-century France, encyclopedias have been crucial tools for enlightening society and empowering people with the strength of true knowledge, thus accelerating the liberation from the yoke of the ancien régime. They convey historical and current information filtered through scientific methods. Utilizing this revolutionary character in the context of Alevism, which has been under the pressure of regimes from multiple angles, will be a very important step.
PRESERVING THE HISTORICAL HERITAGE
Throughout history, Alevism has faced serious threats such as forced assimilation, massacres, and the distortion of its cultural heritage and collective knowledge. For this reason, there are significant efforts and discussions on how to correctly understand, preserve, and transmit the Alevi cultural heritage. The Alevi Encyclopedia will be a strong, comprehensive, and multifaceted Alevi knowledge source for the preservation of this great heritage and for new generations to learn about Alevism from its own sources and knowledge distilled through scientific methods. In this respect, the Alevi Encyclopedia will make a significant contribution to the Alevi community’s struggle against the environment of disinformation created in the context of comprehending, strengthening, and transmitting their own cultural identity.
The Alevi Encyclopedia will reflect the cultural accumulation of Alevi communities from all different ethnic and/or religious-traditional roots. By presenting a holistic understanding of identity, it will contribute to the construction of Alevi identity cohesion based on a solid foundation regarding the diversity and cultural richness of the Alevi community.
COMPREHENSIVE AND SCIENTIFIC APPROACH
Given the fact that knowledge about Alevism is rapidly diversifying and spreading in different world languages today, the Alevi Encyclopedia aims to offer the broadest possible scope on Alevism. It will be a platform where this wealth of information—considering different academic-intellectual approaches and interpretations—will be made accessible without deviating from scientific criteria.
The Alevi Encyclopedia will cover a very wide spectrum, including the concepts, institutions, historical background, current sociological and anthropological dimensions; symbols, values, emotions, and the oral cultural heritage of the Alevi cultural world. All content will be written by competent authors, researchers, and academics in their fields and published with the approval of the editorial board.
DIGITAL AND DYNAMIC CONTENT
As a digital platform, the Alevi Encyclopedia will be a dynamic resource that is always open to updates, capable of expanding in quality and scope over time, and reflecting changing social realities.
MULTILINGUAL ACCESS
The Alevi Encyclopedia aims to be a multilingual platform that anyone seeking information about Alevism, especially the young generations in the European diaspora, can refer to. Therefore, it will be translated into various European languages in the future, thus reaching a wider readership.
CONTRIBUTORS
The Alevi Encyclopedia aims to include contributions not only from academics but also from prominent figures of the Alevi community, intellectuals, knowledgeable Alevi individuals, and faith leaders. This will ensure that the diversity within the Alevi cultural world and its heritage can be transmitted.
