Hacıbektaş (historically Sulucakarahöyük) is a town and district of
Nevşehir Province
Nevşehir Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province in central Turkey with its capital in Nevşehir. Its area is 5,485 km2, and its population is 317,952 (2024). Its adjacent provinces are Kırşehir Province, Kırşehir to the northwest ...
in the
Central Anatolia region of
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. It is the seat of
Hacıbektaş District.
[İlçe Belediyesi]
Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 22 May 2023. Its population is 5,325 (2022).
Located in
Cappadocia
Cappadocia (; , from ) is a historical region in Central Anatolia region, Turkey. It is largely in the provinces of Nevşehir, Kayseri, Aksaray, Kırşehir, Sivas and Niğde. Today, the touristic Cappadocia Region is located in Nevşehir ...
, its elevation is . The town is named after
Haji Bektash Veli
Haji Bektash Veli (; ; ; ) was an Islamic scholar, Mysticism, mystic, Wali, saint, sayyid, and philosopher from Greater Khorasan, Khorasan who lived and taught in Anatolia.C. Olsen: Celibacy and Religious Traditions. Oxford University Press. 1st ...
, a 13th-century Sufi saint who founded the
Bektashi Order
Bektashism (, ) is a Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The Bektashi co ...
.
History
W. M. Ramsay identified the town as one of the possible locations of
Doara
Doara () was a town of ancient Cappadocia, inhabited in Byzantine times. It was in the Chamanene prefecture created by Archelaus of Cappadocia, Archelaus of Kingdom of Cappadocia, Cappadocia during Hellenistic times. The town appears on the Peuting ...
, an ancient town and bishopric. Modern scholars place it elsewhere. From 1867 until 1922, Hacıbektaş was part of
Angora vilayet
The Vilayet of Angora () or Ankara was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire, centered on the city of Angora (Ankara) in north-central Anatolia, which included most of ancient Galatia.
Demographics
At the beginni ...
.
For centuries, Hacıbektaş has served as the international headquarters of the
Bektashi Order
Bektashism (, ) is a Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The Bektashi co ...
until
Atatürk outlawed all
dervish
Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from ) in Islam can refer broadly to members of a Sufi fraternity (''tariqah''), or more narrowly to a religious mendicant, who chose or accepted material poverty. The latter usage is found particularly in Persi ...
orders in 1925. In 1930, the Bektashi Order officially set up its new headquarters in
Tirana
Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...
,
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
.
Notable residents
Haji Bektash Veli
Haji Bektash Veli (; ; ; ) was an Islamic scholar, Mysticism, mystic, Wali, saint, sayyid, and philosopher from Greater Khorasan, Khorasan who lived and taught in Anatolia.C. Olsen: Celibacy and Religious Traditions. Oxford University Press. 1st ...
, the founder of the
Bektashi
Bektashism (, ) is a tariqa, Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the wali, ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The ...
order, lived in the area in the 14th century and is commemorated by the town's current name and in an annual festival. His tomb known as the
Hajibektash complex is located near the center of town in his former monastery, now a museum, and is a site of pilgrimage for
Alevi
Alevism (; ; ) is a syncretic heterodox Islamic tradition, whose adherents follow the mystical Islamic teachings of Haji Bektash Veli, who taught the teachings of the Twelve Imams, whilst incorporating some traditions from shamanism. Differing ...
and
Bektashi
Bektashism (, ) is a tariqa, Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the wali, ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The ...
from throughout Turkey and the world.
See also
*
Sufism
Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism.
Practitioners of Sufism are r ...
*
Bektashism
Bektashism (, ) is a Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The Bektashi co ...
References
External links
District municipality's official website
Map of Hacıbektaş district
General information on Hacıbektaş Kenthaber.com
Geographical and economical structure of Hacıbektaş Hacibektas.com.
District municipalities in Turkey
Islam in Turkey
Populated places in Nevşehir Province
Hacıbektaş District
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