Sufism, Islamic Monasteries and Zawiyahs in Belviran Town During Ottoman Period

Abstract

The Turks were familiar with the Anatolia through their discoveries to this advantageous and safe land and they were settled into the Anatolia after the Battle of Malazgirt (1071). The Anatolia entered into a fast process of Turkization and Islamization because of the continuous migrations of the Seljuks who appeared as an important power factor. The migrated scholars, sheiks and dervishes had an important role to turn this geography into a permanent Turkish Land where political and social consistency were provided. Those cult competents had an significant influence over the community life as a result of sufistic activities arised in Central Asia. As from XII. century, the sufism movements spread in the capital Konya and surroundings and a large number of monasteries and zawiyahs of different cults had been built by the members of this movement with the aid of the government. As a reflection of the sufism movement, there were 34 monasteries and zawiyahs in 28 villages and three unspecified villages of Belviran town which was a Turkish-Islam residential area since Seljuk period. Those were sufi buildings and four of them were belong to Yesevi Cult, one of them was belong to Mevlevi Cult and two of them were belong to Halveti Cult