SPATIAL APPEARANCE OF ASSIMILATION: POLITICAL INTERFERE ON PLACES OF WORSHIP AND MEMORY

Abstract

Even though the memory is referred to the time mostly, this concept is directly related to space as well. As from the Halbwachs who propounded the constitution of memory as social phenomenon, space also was handled as an important dimension of this societal existence. Space has been considered both a basis vector that creates the memory and an indispensable component on preserve and maintain of the memory constituted. Playing a significant role in occurrence and maintenance of collective memory, space is a subject and object of political struggle and power domain at the same time. As Lefebvre strikingly stated, space - a historical product itself as well- is one within the other with memory on that sense. Furthermore, it has always been political and ideological. We find one of the most tangible reflexion of this thesis on the power's endeavours for recasting the space. interfere toward to space is towards to the memory at the same time. Then, we can clearly state that there is a pervious and apparent relation among the space, memory and the political sphere (power domain). This study aims to read the relation aforesaid by way of interfering towards Alevi places of worship and other holy places for Turkey in particular. Alevis, who stayed out of the Sunni-Orthodox majority and the power focal by reason of some well-known historical, political, social and religious factors, has been oppressed by the state and mass of the society for centuries. One of the most concreted examples of this oppression can read via interfering to the Alevi holy places. There is an obvious continuity on this subject between the period of Ottoman Empire and The Turkish Republic. To interfere to space and effort on recast of the space has always had a direct or indirect aim that re-forming the collective memory of Alevis. Therefore, in my opinion, all these intervention and recasting methods are kinds of assimilation policies.