Bektashi
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Bektashism (Albanian: Tarikati Bektashi; Turkish: Bektaşilik) is a Sufi tariqa. Founded in the 13th century, its followers are located mostly in Turkey and the Balkan Peninsula, including Albania, East Thrace, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Bulgaria.[1]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "The Bektashis: A Sufi community that still stands for tolerance despite a long history of persecution". 11 June 2018. Archived from the original on 25 June 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
Initiation
[change | change source]Membership in the Bektashi order is formally established through an initiation ceremony, variously known as the ikrar erkânı, nasip verilme erkânı or ayn-ı cem. The ceremony normally takes place in a ritual space known as the meydan and incorporates symbolic themes of death and rebirth, sacrifice and the initiate's incorporation into the religious community.[1]
Descriptions of the ritual were historically preserved in manuscript manuals known as erkân-nâme. These manuals were intended for practical ritual use and show variation in the details of Bektashi ceremonies. After initiation, the new member becomes a mühip and may participate in rituals reserved for initiated members.[2]
The historical Bektashi dervish order is sometimes referred to as the Babagân tradition. Unlike some related Anatolian religious traditions based on hereditary affiliation, membership in the order was traditionally non-hereditary and acquired through formal initiation and training in a tekke. Although Bektashism shares historical and religious connections with Alevism, scholars distinguish the two as separate institutional traditions.[3]
- ↑ Soileau, Mark (2019). "Experiencing Becoming: The Initiation Process into Bektashi Tradition". Religions. 10 (5): 311. doi:10.3390/rel10050311. Retrieved 5 November 2026.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ↑ Soileau, Mark (2019). "Experiencing Becoming: The Initiation Process into Bektashi Tradition". Religions. 10 (5): 311. doi:10.3390/rel10050311. Retrieved 5 November 2026.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ↑ Soileau, Mark (27 November 2023). "Bektashi Sufi Order". Oxford Bibliographies in Islamic Studies. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/obo/9780195390155-0304. Retrieved 5 November 2026.