Origin of Kâkâî and its interaction with Anatolian Alevîsm

In today's Islamic world, especially in the regions of Western Iran, Anatolia, Northern Iraq and Syria, there are religious identity debates regarding belief groups that differ significantly from the orthodox understanding of Islam (Sunni and Shiite). These groups generally emerged in the 13th-15th centuries in the chaotic environment caused by the Mongol invasion and many other factors, and they continue to exist until today. In particular, groups such as Alevî/Bektashi in Anatolia, Ahl-e Haqq in Western Iran and Kâkâî and Shabak in Northern Iraq attract the attention of researchers from various disciplines in terms of both their historical origins and their living belief and cultural characteristics. While these groups draw attention with their unique belief systems, rituals and cultural elements, they stand out with their identities shaped in regional and historical contexts. In this context, the Kâkâî belief is recognised as a deep-rooted and unique form of belief in both Iran and the Middle East. For this reason, the Kâkâî belief can sometimes be considered as a syncretic belief in the context of the history of religions. This belief has emerged from a mixture of different religious beliefs and practices. The closed nature of the Kâkâî, their strict rituals, and the more widespread adoption by a particular ethnic group have contributed to the persistence of this belief in the same region for many years. When analysed from a historical perspective, it has been observed that this belief has significant interactions with Alevîsm. In this context, the thesis titled "The Origin of Kâkâîlik and its Interaction with Anatolian Alevîsm" aims to present a research to understand the origins of the Kâkâîlik belief and its interaction with on Anatolian Alevîsm and to identify the common points it has with Alevîsm.