“OLD” NAMES OF SETTLEMENTS AS EVIDENCES OF ALIANS’ PRESENCE IN THE FORMER DISTRICT OF MASTANLI – SOME NEW OUTLINES TO THE LITTLE-KNOWN HISTORY OF THE ALEVISM IN THE EASTERN RHODOPES MOUNTAIN (1920 – 1934)
Loading...
Date
2024
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Plovdiv University Press "Paisii Hilendarski"
Abstract
A mai n object of research in the presented article are some old names of settlements in the former district of Mastanli which as oykonyms show the presence of Alevi population (Alians) in the region of the Eastern Rhodopes Mountain. The above-mentioned territories became an integral part of the Bulgarian kingdom in 1913 but the predominant part of listed names had been changes by the official Bulgarian government in 1934. The Alevi as representatives of the “heterodox” (or Sufi ) Islam (compared to the “orthodox” Sunni one) had been the predominant part of pioneers’ colonists in the above-mentioned territories during the years of 15th – 17th c. At the same time, all of old settlement names are saved in the so called “Lists of populated places” that summarized the results of census of Bulgaria’s population in 1920, 1926 and 1934. Exactly, in the cited “Lists…” the authors of the article found names of settlements that show past or present Alevi attendance in the Eastern Rhodopes. These are 29 villages and 75 mahalas or as a sum – 104 new places of settlements that have to add to previously known 44 ones (35 villages and 9 mahalas).
Description
Keywords
Alevi (Alians), Eastern Rhodopes, Heterodox Islam’s cult systems, renamed settlements