A place where collective memory is produced and transferred: Circassian guesthouse (Haçeş)

The subject of this study is basically about the production and transfer of social memory in Circassian guest houses (haçeş). The study aims to reveal the practices through which the Circassian society produces social and cultural memory within the "haçeş". Data was obtained by conducting oral history studies in Düzce, Kayseri and Eskişehir in order to analyze Haçeşi in terms of social memory, place and masculinity. The study focused on the narratives established while producing social and cultural memory, oral culture products and transmitters of cultural memory. In this sense, in addition to being a place where guests stay, "haçeş" is also an important place in terms of building and transferring social and cultural memory with its cultural codes. In addition, this is a homosocial men's place because it is a place used only by men. Here, the construction and reproduction of masculinity also comes to the fore in an important way. An important part of the study is how Circassian masculinity is produced in this space and how women are positioned in this space. Since it is a men's place, the memory established here also appears as the memory of Circassian men. Finally, it was concluded that "haçeş" is a place that evolves from a memory environment to a place of memory. This place is depicted as a place where memory objects are preserved, traces of cultural memory are carried, and the core of resistance against forgetting is formed.