Dersim

"… In addition to a recent determination that Duzgi is a continuation of Mehr (Avesta Mithra), the continuity between Vahagn, the god of the Zoroastrian Armenians, and Tujik Bava, the saint of the Dersim Alevi Kurds, is also among the lines in terms of the influence or continuity of the Armenians on the Alevi Kurdish culture. It is not a finding that will disappear..."

Gürdal Aksoy, who is known especially for his studies on Alevi and Kurdish cultural history, this time sheds light on a dark side of Dersim: By examining the cultural history of Dersim in detail, he reveals the continuities, fluidities, effects, changes and transformations in the lands in question. Aksoy, who tries to describe the general cultural landscape of Kurdish history, which is especially intertwined with Armenian history, in Dersim, reveals a very colorful mosaic that includes not only Armenians and Kurds, but also Turks and Assyrians. While doing this, he looks at both identity struggles and the state of being the "other" from cultural, social and political perspectives by pursuing religious figures as well as place and personal names.

The history of relations between Armenians and Alevi Kurds in Dersim, which is the first in its field in terms of their mutual cultural influence, is proof that drawing clear boundaries between Dersim-Alevism, Armenianism and Kurdish beliefs and identities is not as easy as it seems, and that peoples leave deep traces in each other's cultural life.
(From the Promotional Bulletin)



Number of Pages: 316

Year of Printing: 2016


Language: Turkish
Publisher: Iletisim Publishing

Number of Pages: 316

First Print Year: 2016

Language Turkish