Mosque or Cemevi. Questions of Tradition, Identity and Spirituality

A webinar with Helen Haas, PhD fellow, University of Tartu, Estonia

Please sign up to Catharina Raudvere, raudvere@hum.ku.dk

Abstract

The recognition of cemevis as places of worship has been one of the main questions for debate between the state and the Alevi community in Turkey. Finally, in the beginning of this year 7 cemevis found recognition as places of worship in Izmir by the Izmir Municipality. Still, the leaders of the Alevi communities wait for the recognition on the level of the state and parliament as religious, notonly a cultural group.

In this thesis I will show the reasons why the Alevis prefer cemevis to the common mosques for worship. Also, I will analyze the reasons of reluctance for entering a mosque for prayer or even a visit. There are various opinions towards the mosques as places of worship and as state institutions. Still, not all the Alevis share the same feelings about mosques. There are Alevis, who visit mosques and even seek advice of the imams in spiritual questions. My presentation is based on the fieldwork in Izmir (Buca) in 2019.