Religious visiting places in Mecitözü district center and its surrounding areas

Considerable amount of pilgrims visit places of pilgrimage, which are believed to be holy, for the purpose of benefitting from them. The visited places of pilgrimage have significant functions for the society. Certain places, trees, graves, and springs are considered as holy by the people. Visiting such places is an important topic of research that we encounter in terms of sociology of religion. Due to various material and spiritual reasons, people visit these places at certain times. In these places, certain rituals are performed and prayers are said. The traces of the beliefs and culture of Turks are observed in these rituals. The phenomenon of pilgrimage is seen as the reflection of folk religion and beliefs, mixed with Islamic motifs. Generally, the purpose of the visit is the fact that the place of pilgrimage is a center for psychological satisfaction for the people, who are desperate and in spiritual crisis; and there is also the purpose of benefitting from the spiritual powers of the saints resting in the shrines for the purpose of obtaining certain things that people want to have. These places are the places of appeal that people visit, who suffer from sicknesses, have material difficulties and want to get their wishes accepted. This study titled "Religious Visiting Places in Mecitözü District Center and Its Surrounding Areas" narrates the places of pilgrimage and the information, thoughts and rituals of the people of the region in regards to these places of pilgrimage by analyzing the concept of pilgrimage. The concept of pilgrimage, which constitutes an important section of folk beliefs, and its reflections in this region are attempted to be analyzed through the methods of sociology of religion. Keywords: Religion, Visiting Places, Holy, Shrine, Mecitözü, Çorum.