Bektaşi Female Leadership in a Transnational Context: The Spiritual Career of a Contemporary Female Dervish in Germany

In this article, I bring premodern and contemporary Bektaşi perspectives to the current ethical debate on gender equality in Sufi order. While there is tremendous potential historical legacy of Kadıncık Ana, spiritual successor Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli (d. ca. 1271), her peers who served as female leaders proto-Bektaşiyye, institutionalization order resulted marginalization women their exclusion from certain opportunities positions religious practice leadership. This article explores journey Güllizar Cengiz (today also known Neriman Aşki Derviș after becoming a “dervish”), including foundation an Alevi-Bektaşi cultural institute Cologne, Germany, 1997 opening lodge (dergah) Westerwald near Bonn 2006. explore impact Bektaş’s teaching that both men have same become ultimately ungendered insan-ı kamil, or spiritually ethically completed human being. discuss time-honored principle “moving with times staying one step ahead times” how it can inform understandings prerogatives within Bektaşism.