Bektashi

Portrait of Ali

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.

References

  1. ↑ "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

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.

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.

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.

  1. ↑ 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)
  2. ↑ 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)
  3. ↑ 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.