Ziyaret and Practical Spirituality: Women’s Shrine Visits in Anatolia

Abstract

Women’s devotional subculture in the form of shrine visits in Turkey is an entry point to refine our understanding of women’s religiosity. We ask if ziyaret is in opposition to or complements the gendered ‘mainstream’ Sunni Islam in Turkey. Women’s rationalizations of their religious practices shed light not only on the uneasy negotiation between the state and institutionalized religion but also between the former and its ‘folk’ variants. The essay draws on fieldwork and interviews with women from different socio-economic and sectarian backgrounds to examine how women combine ‘orthodox’, ‘popular’, and ‘folk’ elements in their daily lives and practices. Since shrine visits complement those to mosques, women’s ziyaret in Anatolia, Turkey, offers insights into the impact of the practice on other aspects of women’s lives. The essay asks about the extent to which women rework Islamic teachings to depart from conventional stereotypes of Muslim women. The potential of ziyaret to reflect on women’s increasing self-confidence, assess gender roles, and connect with other women with similar interests, is analyzed.