The Reform of the Turkish Writing System and the Alevi Community – The End of a Manuscript Culture? (C04)

• Subject Area: Islamic Studies, Arabian Studies, Semitic Studies
• Term: from 2011 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 181924784

This sub-project investigates the manuscript culture that existed among Alevi communities in Anatolia after the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923, but before its society was transformed by widespread education, literacy and the printed word. Furthermore, it examines developments connected with manuscript use that began once the tradition of manuscript-making died out in the 1950s. Our investigation will involve us analysing specific cases from the beginning of the 19th century to the present day. Particular attention will be paid to the radical changes linked with the government’s writing reform in 1928 when it introduced the Latin alphabet in place of Perso-Arabic, which had a huge impact on manuscript culture in Alevi villages.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 950: Collaborative Research Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures
• Applicant Institution: Universität Hamburg
• Project Head: Professor Dr. Raoul Motika