The Haji Bektash Veli complex ( tr, Hacıbektaş Külliyesi) is an

Alevi Alevism or Anatolian Alevism (; tr, Alevilik, ''Anadolu Aleviliği'' or ''Kızılbaşlık''; ; az, Ələvilik) is a local Islamic tradition, whose adherents follow the mystical Alevi Islamic ( ''bāṭenī'') teachings of Haji Bektash Veli, w ...

Cultural Monument of the Republic of

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

, located in

Hacıbektaş Hacıbektaş, formerly Karahöyük, is a town and district of Nevşehir Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 11,929 of which 5,169 live in the town of Hacıbektaş. Located in C ...

, Nevshehir province. It was built in the 13th century as a teqe ''(dergâh)'' of the Sufi saint

Haji Bektash Veli Haji Bektash Veli or Wali ( fa, حاجی بکتاش ولی, Ḥājī Baktāš Walī; ota, حاجی بکتاش ولی, Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli; sq, Haxhi Bektash Veliu) (1209 – 1271) was a Muslim mystic, saint, Sayyid and philosopher from Kh ...

. After his death, his mausoleum was built here. Before the secularization of Turkey in 1925, the complex was home to the ''pir evi'' (" pir's house") of Haji Bektash Veli, which served as the international headquarters of the Bektashi Order.

Secularization

Atatürk's 1925 ban on all

dervish Dervish, Darvesh, or Darwīsh (from fa, درویش, ''Darvīsh'') 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 i ...

orders caused the exodus of the Bektashi Order to

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

in 1925, and the complex was closed for religious use. As a result, the administrative seat of the Bektashi Order was shifted to the

World Headquarters of the Bektashi The World Headquarters of the Bektashi or Bektashi World Center ( sq, Kryegjyshata Botërore Bektashiane; often simply known in Albanian as the Kryegjyshata) is the international headquarters of the Bektashi Order, a Sufi order. It is located on ...

Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and 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 overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

, Albania in 1930. The Haji Bektash Veli complex was later declared as museum in 1964. The teqe of the complex is thought to be the first "King type" teqe in Turkey.

Tourism

Nowadays, the Haji Bektash Veli Complex is visited by hundreds of thousands of

Bektashi The Bektashi Order; sq, Tarikati Bektashi; tr, Bektaşi or Bektashism is an Islamic Sufi mystic movement originating in the 13th-century. It is named after the Anatolian saint Haji Bektash Wali (d. 1271). The community is currently led by ...

s, and even Sunni Muslims from Turkey, Albania, and the

Turkish diaspora The Turkish diaspora ( tr, Türk diasporası or ''Türk gurbetçiler'') refers to ethnic Turkish people who have migrated from, or are the descendants of migrants from, the Republic of Turkey, Northern Cyprus or other modern nation-states tha ...

in Europe and around the world. Large festivals are held here every August. Since 2012, the Haji Bektash Veli complex is on the

World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

Tentative list of the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

External links

Haji Bektash Veli complex
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The Haji Bektash Veli complex
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Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Turkey) The Ministry of Culture and Tourism ( tr, Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı) is a government ministry of the Republic of Turkey, responsible for culture and tourism affairs in Turkey. Revolving fund management of the ministry is carried by DÖSİM ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haji Bektash Veli complex Alevism Bektashi Order Museums established in 1964 Tourist attractions in Nevşehir Province Buildings and structures in Nevşehir Province Biographical museums in Turkey Religious museums in Turkey Sufi shrines 1964 establishments in Turkey World Heritage Tentative List for Turkey