The new book by Professor Fuzuli Bayat, Doctor of Sciences in Philology and Head of the Department of Folklore Theory at the Institute of Folklore of ANAS, entitled “The Sources of Turkish Mystical Movements: Marginal Teachings from Magian Esotericism to Gizilbash Mystical Thought”, has been published in Türkiye by Ötüken Publishing House.

Dedicated to the study of the historical and cultural sources of Turkish mystical thought, the book explores the historical, religious, philosophical and symbolic connections between ancient Magian traditions and Gizilbash mystical thought. Examining Turkish mystical traditions within a broad historical context, the author investigates the interactions between pre-Islamic belief systems and the esoteric and Sufi teachings of the Islamic period.

The book consists of 14 chapters, Foreword, Conclusion, References section and Index.

The book also provides a comparative analysis of the similarities and differences between Magian esotericism, Gizilbashism, Safavidism and Shiism. The influence of esoteric movements such as Hurufism and Ismailism, the relationship between religious authority and mystical teachings, and the doctrinal issues and theological characteristics of Gizilbashism are among the principal research topics addressed in the work. Drawing on historical, philological, religious and cultural sources, the author seeks to reveal the multilayered structure of Turkish mystical traditions and their historical transformations.

The approaches advanced in the book are significant for studying the connections between ancient belief systems and subsequent religious and mystical traditions, the formative characteristics of Turkish mystical wisdom and the interactions among various philosophical teachings.

The book is intended for specialists, researchers and a broad readership interested in the history of religions, folklore studies, Sufism, Turkish cultural heritage and the study of esoteric teachings.