Conversions to Islam in Cyprus (1800-1878)

DİNÇ G.

BILIG, cilt.84, sa.84, ss.243-271, 2018 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 84 Sayı: 84
  • Basım Tarihi: 2018
  • Dergi Adı: BILIG
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.243-271
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Cyprus, Islam, Conversion, Convert, Non-Muslim, Shari'a Register
  • Akdeniz Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This paper examines conversion to Islam in Cyprus in 19th century of Ottoman period. Conversion (ihtida) means becoming a Muslim by accepting Islam. In Ottoman State, non-Muslims converted Islam for a variety of reasons such as social, economic, religious etc. Individualistic Conversion to Islam was seen during the early Ottoman period in Cyprus. 202 cases of conversion to Islam, 106 women and 96 men, were found in twenty-seven Cyprus Shari'a Court Registers between 1800 and 1878. Most of the cases were observed in Nicosia, Kyrenia and Mesaoria. The numbers of Muslims and non-Muslim living together, their proximity and interactions, influenced the course of conversions. Shari'a Court Registers of Cyprus record no compulsion in conversion. The presence of 62 converts on Cyprus was recorded in the census of 1831. Converts adapted to the Muslim community, and some did not sunder connections with their family and previous relationships. From the mid-19th century the number of conversions sharply decreased, due to the non-Muslim's change in status, from rising nationalism, and from the intervention of European Powers and this course continued in the British period.