The place and importance of Alevi minds in the Anatolian ministry tradition: The example of Âşık Seyit Meftuni

In this study, the centuries-old bond between Minstrelsy and Alevism has been tried to be examined with the example of Âşık Seyit Meftuni, an Alevi Dedes, and it has been tried to reveal the various similarities and differences in the historical process through the said bond. In addition, in the study, based on the intricate relationship between Alevism and Minstrelsy, the basic characteristics of "Alevi Minstrelsy" were tried to be determined through the Seyit Meftuni sample. Âşık Seyit Meftuni's being a "Dede" as an Alevi faith leader, as well as his strong musical production aspect, which is one of the most basic features of Minstrelsy, has been an important factor in his selection as the sample of the thesis. After giving some general information about the subject in the first part of the thesis, a detailed information was given about the importance, purpose/scope, basic and sub-problems of the study as well as its method. In addition, studies related to these fields in the literature are also included in this section. Since Minstrelsy and Alevism are the two most comprehensive topics in the Anatolian geography, the adventures of minstrels in Anatolia from past to present, their cultural assets, their ties with Alevism and their musical infrastructure are included in the broad scope of the thesis and highlighted as important topics, based on the etymological origin of minstrelsy. The aforementioned subjects formed the second part of the thesis, and the third part of the study was created specifically for Âşık Seyit Meftuni, who was chosen as a sample. In this section, after examining Âşık Seyit Meftuni Dede's minstrelsy process, his Dede's, the rituals of various Alevi belief traditions and his musical life he performed during his Dede's process, some inferences made on the samples of his works are concluded. In the study planned as a qualitative research, semi-constructed personal interview technique was used as well as the literature review. Keywords: Minstrelsy, Alevism, Minstrel Tradation, Music, Meftuni.