Religion and Ethnicity: Muslim Turkish and Tatar Identity in Dobruja (Romania) throughout the 20th Century
In my study I approached Turkish and Tatar communities in Dobruja (Romania) in the context ofthe ethnic and religious diversity in the Balkans, which Maria Todorova considers to be as theonly continuous traces of a common continuous Ottoman heritage. Using the field research anddocumentary research, I tried to identify the political, economic, cultural and social factors that havedetermined the evolution of the collective mentality of the Muslim Turks and Tatars in Dobruja fromperceiving themselves as a religious community to a self-perception as ethnic community throughoutthe 20th Century. Finally, I tried to identify the present overlays between the two hypostases (religiousand ethnic) in the collective imaginary of the Turkish and Tatar Muslims in Dobruja.
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Interviews:
Interview with H. A., member of the Tatar community, 29 January 2013;
Interview with H. N., member of the Tatar community, October 14, 2013;
Interview with E. E., member of the Turkish community, October 17, 2013;
Interview with E. M., member of the Tatar community, May 22, 2014.
Interview with G. A., member of the Tatar community, 29 January 2013;
Interview with M. A. M., member of the Turkish community, May 20, 2014.
Interview with M. F., member of the Tatar community, 29 January 2013;
Interview with N. U., member of the Tatar community, September 16, 2013;
Interview with N. U., member of the Tatar community, September 16, 2013;
Interview with O. E., member of the Tatar community, 29 January 2013;
Interview with O. F., May 22, 2014, member of the Turkish community.
Interview with S.M., member of the Tatar community, 30 January 2013;
Interview with S. T., member of the Turkish community, January 31, 2013;
Interview with Te. B., member of the Tatar community, July 28, 2014;
Interview with Ta. B., member of the Tatar community, July 28, 2014.