The Place of Women in the Social and Religious Life in Anatolian Alevis Tradition

Unlike traditional Sunni understanding, in the Alevi-Bektashi tradition, Ancient Turkish beliefs are known to be influential in as much as Islamic values. Ancient beliefs of Ancient Turkish societies, such as Tengrism, nature and ancestor cults, shaped the belief structure of the Anatolian Alevis after accepting Islam, and the Anatolian Alevis formed their religious philosophies by synthesizing both the beliefs of Islam and the beliefs of the old Turkish societies. Based on this synthesis, the main purpose of this study is to reveal the place of women in Anatolian Alevis within the framework of the similarities between Anatolian Alevis and Ancient Turkish societies. In this study, the subject of women in Alevism is covered under the sub-headings of “Social Life” and “'Women in Religious Rituals and Ceremonies”. The study is based on literature review. The place and value of women in the old Turkish and Alevi society were tried to be revealed through both field research and with the use of classical sources. According to the information obtained, in the Alevi society, It is determined that women and men are equal, that women are regarded as respected and valued due to their being human, and men and women are equally in family, that monogamy is preferred, that divorce and adultery are not welcomed, that there is no discrimination between boys and girls, and that religious ceremonies are held together with men and women. It is noteworthy that all these beliefs in Anatolian Alevism related to women are similar to those in Ancient Turkish beliefs. It is important to increase both literature and field research in order to reveal more clearly how Anatolian Alevis' perception of women is affected by old Turkish beliefs.

Keywords

Alevism, Anatolian Alevism, Old Turkish beliefs, Women, Religious and Social Life