Saz – Music in Alevism – Tembur – Bağlama – Tandura/Dandura – Cura

In this video, Pir Hasan Erkişi explains the central importance and function of music within the Alevi belief and ritual world. The meanings and modes of use of various musical instruments such as the saz, tembur/tambur, bağlama, tandura/dandura, cura, and rızba within Alevi communities are discussed in detail. The narrative also addresses the role of oral and musical transmission in Alevism—through concepts such as aşık, deyiş, and nefes—in both religious practice and collective memory. Pir Hasan Erkişi emphasizes that music is not merely an aesthetic means of expression, but a sacred medium through which truth, rıza, and the teaching of the yol are conveyed.

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.