In 1925, the Republic of Turkey passed “The law relating to the closure of dervish lodges and tombs, and the abolishment of various titles” as one part of its sweeping reforms aiming to modernize the country. The law, which closed down dervish lodges of all Sufi sects and banned the usage of religious titles and clothes, also ruptured the fabric of everyday religio-cultural life in many localities.
This thesis aims to examine the impact of Law no. 677 through the case study of the Mevlevî order. Through a series of interviews conducted with eight modern-day descendants of members of the Mevlevî order, this work analyzes the memory of the closure that interviewees have inherited from their community. It demonstrates that, despite being some of the most ardent supporters of the closure, the members of the Mevlevî order experienced inter-generational trauma through their efforts to adhere to the law.</p
