Aralık 2024
Cilt 2, Sayı 2
The Symbolic Aspects of a “Holy” Ritual in a 21st Century Muslim Turkish Village in Greece
Özet
This study explores the symbolic and socio-cultural dimensions of the ‘Tekke Pilavı’
(or ‘Dede’ye Pilavı’) ritual in Galini, a small Turkish-Muslim village in Greek
Thrace. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in the village, the study examines
the historical, religious, and social meanings of the ritual, highlighting its links
to Bektashi heterodox practices, Ottoman colonization strategies, and contemporary
socio-economic transformations. The ritual, which involves communal food preparation
and distribution, embodies cultural continuities and discontinuities from Ottoman
Bektashi traditions, as well as symbolic resistance to Sunni orthodoxy and patriarchal
structures. Women emerge as the key agents in organizing and sustaining the ritual,
despite opposition from religious authorities and growing indifference from younger
generations. The ritual’s symbolic meaning has shifted over time, from being a vital
mechanism of communal sustenance during periods of economic hardship to a contemporary
quest for solidarity and cultural affirmation in the face of isolation induced
by agricultural modernization and migration. By employing Clifford Geertz’s “thick
description” method, as well as drawing on comparative insights from Robert Darnton’s
“The Great Cat Massacre” and Hans Sabean’s studies on village discourse, this
research situates the ‘Tekke Pilavı’ within broader debates on cultural reproduction,
historical memory, and gendered agency in rural societies. The findings suggest that
the ritual is both a reflection of Galini’s multi-layered identity as a Turkish-Muslim
minority in Greece and a living site of negotiation between local tradition, religious
orthodoxy, and modernity.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Turkish-Muslim minority in Greece, Bektashi tradition, symbolic anthropology, village ethnography, Geertzian analysis
Nasıl Atıf Yapılır
Chousein Hasan, Sule. “The Symbolic Aspects of a “Holy” Ritual in a 21st Century Turkish-Muslim Village in Greece”. Eklektik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 2, sy. 2 (Aralık 2024): 335-353.
Yazar : Sule Chousein Hasan
ORCID : 0009-0006-4833-9574
DOI : 10.61150/eklektik.2024020205
Yayınlanma tarihi : 30.12.2024