Madrasas, seydas, and their searches for legitimacy in Turkey

This study focused on examining how madrasa, a classical Ottoman education system sustained its existence through application of some strategies, and Seyda, being religious actor established itself in this educational system to gain legitimacy in the social and cultural contexts. In the study, interpretivist paradigm, qualitative research and an ethnographic study which made the focus on the everyday life and culture of the institution of the sample group and their experience in the social and political area possible. Accordingly, snowball sample technique used in order to reach totally 30 seydas with whom in-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview. It is concluded that, after losing legal basis with the developments during the Republic, madrasa education system in the process has integrated with seyda, who is the leading actor and mudarris of the institution. In this context madrasa, the source of social and cultural capital of seydas, is represented with the nongovernmental organizations they established as a modern agency. Seydas have tried to make both their position and the madrasa institution, rigged with Islamic references to them visible and legal. It was enough for seydas to be educated in the madrasa where Islamic sciences were identified with the Arabic language till very recently. However, they have included in the formal education system that they see as secular and insufficient, by force of modern times. Moreover, seydas who have power, prestige and sometimes traditional authority have opened new madrasas inside Turkey and established relations with other religious leaders in abroad especially with mysticism.