Dede Elî

General Information

Also Known As

Dede Elî shrine, Dede Elî, Ziyareta Pîrê Baranê, Pîrê Baranê, دده علي

Type

Ziyareta, Dede

Nahiya (Subdistrict)

Mabeta

Village or Nearby Villages

Mabeta

Religious Affiliation

Alevi

Dede Elî is a shrine in Mabeta. It is also remembered as Pîrê Baranê, "the Elder of the Rain," because rain was said to fall after people prayed there during drought.1

Physical & Landscape Features

The shrine has trees around it. In the rain-prayer story, rain began before the participants had passed beyond those trees.2

Dedicated Figure & Historical Roots

Dede Elî is remembered as a very old Alevi shrine. Its dedicatee is described as a blessed welî, a holy man, and martyr. Local Alevi sacred figures are called dede rather than şêx.3

Ritual Practices & Beliefs

The shrine is visited on Fridays by people seeking children or other wishes. Visitors sacrifice animals, prepare food, and distribute it to poor people.4

During drought, villagers collected meat, money, oil, and bulgur from households, prepared and ate a communal meal at the shrine, and prayed for rain. Rain was said to begin before they had passed beyond the shrine's trees.5

One story concerns a person from Homs who saw the martyr in a dream, came to the shrine, slept there, made a sacrifice, drank the water, and had his wish granted. The wish concerned the person's child, who had cancer. The illness was said to be taken away through the goodness of the martyr.6

Transcripts

Mabeta (Ax û Welat - Episode 972):

  • 09:12 – Guest explains the history of the Dede Elî shrine, its Alevi status, and its dedicatee as a holy weli.
  • 09:36 – Guest describes Friday visitation, wishes, and the rain-praying tradition.
  • 10:12 – Guest describes sacrifices, food distribution, and communal collection of ingredients.
  • 10:53 – Guest says rain began before participants passed beyond the shrine's trees.
  • 11:49 – Guest recounts the Homs dream story and the healing of a child with cancer.

Videography

Mabeta (Ax û Welat - Episode 972): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryF5tfYVOc0

Bibliography

References

  1. Ax û Welat, episode 972, "Mabeta," 09:36-10:05, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryF5tfYVOc0. Direct quote: "For that rain, they used to come because... here through this [shrine]... they would pray to God, pray to their God. And after that, God, through them, would make it rain. It rained, and for this place of God, the name was changed, they called it the Elder of the Rain (Pîrê Baranê)." ↩

  2. Ax û Welat, episode 972, "Mabeta," 10:53, YouTube video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryF5tfYVOc0. Direct quote: "They used to say, because of the shrine, before they even passed behind these trees, rain would fall upon them." ↩

  3. Ax û Welat, episode 972, "Mabeta," 08:35-09:26 and 12:19-12:25. Direct quote: "This shrine is very ancient. Its history is very ancient. ... this region, in its entirety, its religion and sect was Alevi. ... this shrine... is a shrine of a Pir [Elder/Saint]... they call it 'Dada Ali'. The name is Martyr... a very... meaning he was blessed, they call him a Wali [Saint]. ... By God, mostly, they are in our region, they exist, it is Alevi. They exist, these are Dedes, regarding the name of our Sheikhs, we don't say Sheikh, we say Dede." ↩

  4. Ax û Welat, episode 972, "Mabeta," 10:12-10:18. Direct quote: "The community of the village, if someone's wish doesn't come true, if someone doesn't have children, if someone has a desire for a wish... On Friday they come here, it is specifically a shrine, they make their sacrifice, they prepare their food, and distribute it to the poor." ↩

  5. Ax û Welat, episode 972, "Mabeta," 10:27-10:53. Direct quote: "There is another thing, we have a ritual... here, when the rain does not fall... Meaning, food... a meal is made in this area, in this place. The whole nation, the people of the village [collect] meat, they would walk through the village, gathering it. Everyone gives whatever is in their house, whether it be money, or oil, or bulgur... They make their sacrifice all together here, they charge [prepare] it together, eat together, and give together. They used to say, because of the shrine, before they even passed behind these trees, rain would fall upon them." ↩

  6. Ax û Welat, episode 972, "Mabeta," 11:49-12:12. Direct quote: "Something caught my attention, they say one day there was someone in Homs, who saw [this] in a dream? ... He saw it in a dream, came to this place, slept in this place, and made his sacrifice in this place. And he drank this water, his sitting was in this place, and God granted his wish. ... His wish, his child... [he had] an illness, we call it Five Lions (Pênceşêr). Meaning Cancer in Arabic. It was Cancer. And God took it away, took it through the goodness of this martyr, and he got better, it passed." ↩