THE RELIGIOSITY OF VISITING IN NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN IN A TYPICAL TURKIC SETTLEMENT: ANDKHOY

Abstract

In this study, the beliefs and practices related to the places considered sacred in Andkhoy, a Turkic settlement in Northern Afghanistan are discussed. Andkhoy people, who are settled in the countryside and adhere to ancient traditions, show great interest in visiting places. The aim of the study is to determine the interests, beliefs, and practices of the Turks living in Andkhoy in the places they consider sacred and to reveal the attitudes of the visitors towards these places. The qualitative research method is used in the study and multiple data collection tools were used, including semi-structured interviews, participant observation, examination of the literature, and visual materials related to the region. The scope of the research is limited to the Andkhoy region which includes the Korghan, Karamkol, and Khancharbagh districts that used to be small administrative units of the Andkhoy district earlier. There is no study that directly deals with public religiosity and especially the visiting phenomenon related to the region. This research is important both in terms of introducing the beliefs and practices of the people of the region about the religiosity of visiting and in terms of contributing to scientific studies on this subject in the future.