What Religions are in Turkey? An Overview of the Major Faiths

Turkey is a country located at the crossroads between Europe and Asia. With a rich history dating back thousands of years Turkey has been home to diverse civilizations and cultures. This is reflected in the variety of religions practiced in Turkey throughout the ages. Here is an overview of the major religions found in Turkey today.

Islam

Islam is by far the largest religion in Turkey today. Over 99% of the population identifies as Muslim, predominantly Sunni Muslim. The roots of Islam in Turkey go back over a thousand years to the medieval era when Turks began migrating into Anatolia and converting to Islam. By the time the Ottoman Empire arose in the 14th century, Islam was firmly entrenched as the dominant faith.

During the Ottoman period, most Turks followed the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam. Shia minorities like Alevis also emerged When the Republic of Turkey was founded in 1923, the country established secularism and restricted religion in public life. However, Islam remained deeply important in Turkish culture and society.

The Presidency of Religious Affairs, also known as the Diyanet, regulates Islamic institutions and education in Turkey today. There are thousands of mosques across Turkey, including famous historical mosques like the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. Many Turks continue to practice Islamic traditions and take pride in Turkey’s Islamic heritage.

Christianity

Christianity has an ancient history and presence in Turkey but is a small minority today. Christians in Turkey belong mainly to Orthodox denominations like the Greek Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church. There are also some Roman Catholics and various Protestant groups.

The total Christian population numbers around 100,000-320,000, less than 1% of Turkey’s population. Yet Christianity has an enormously significant past in Turkey. Antioch and other parts of southern Turkey were among the earliest centers of Christianity.

Istanbul has been the seat of the Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate since the Byzantine era. Important Christian sites include the Orthodox Monastery of Sumela in Trabzon and the House of the Virgin Mary near Ephesus. The Hagia Sophia was the largest Eastern Orthodox cathedral for centuries before becoming a mosque after the Ottoman conquest.

While the Christian population has diminished, Turkey still protects some key Christian heritage sites. Many lay abandoned or in ruins until partial restoration in recent decades. Turkish Christians maintain active communities, focused especially in Istanbul.

Judaism

The Jewish presence in Turkey also stretches back to antiquity. Judeo-Spanish speaking Sephardic Jews arrived after their expulsion from Spain in 1492. Turkish Jews prospered during the Ottoman Empire but later faced discrimination and emigration.

Today around 15,000 Jews live in Turkey, mostly in Istanbul. The city’s historic Neve Shalom Synagogue was bombed by terrorists in 1986 before being rebuilt. Other sites like the Ahrida Synagogue in Istanbul and the Grand Synagogue of Edirne preserve Turkey’s Jewish architectural heritage.

While the community is small, Turkish Jews play an active role in society. The government protects synagogues and other Jewish sites from threats. Turkish Jews maintain their distinct language, cuisine, and rituals.

Minority Religions

Smaller minority religious groups can also be found in Turkey. Alevis follow a unique tradition that blends Shia Islam with Sufi and Anatolian influences. Sufi groups like the Bektashi Order first emerged among heterodox Muslim dervishes.

Yazidis, an ethnoreligious group persecuted by ISIS in Iraq, live mainly in southeastern Turkey. Their temples can be found in villages like Bacin. Converted Turkish Protestants number around 5,000, belonging to churches established by missionaries in the 19th century.

The Bahá’í Faith also has roots in Turkey since its founder Bahá’u’lláh was exiled to Ottoman territories in the 1860s. However, Bahá’ís struggle for recognition as a legal religion. Conversion from Islam is not officially allowed, so Turkey’s minority religious communities rely largely on birth rates rather than proselytizing.

Ancient & Mythological Religions

A wide array of ancient religions once flourished on the varied landscapes of Anatolia, the Asian portion of Turkey. Neolithic sites contain some of the world’s oldest temples. Pagan Greco-Roman religion dominated during the Classical period when Turkey was the heartland of empires like Lydia, Persia, and Macedonia.

Istanbul and western Turkey in particular still contain many archaeological sites related to Greek mythology and paganism. The cults of early Anatolian mother goddess figures like Cybele left their mark as well. Indigenous Hittite and Hurrian beliefs also persisted into the early Iron Age. Mystical folk religion survived through the ages among rural peasants.

While not actively practiced today, these old Anatolian religions left behind a rich legacy of myths, ruins, and material culture for modern Turkey. The diverse pagan beliefs of bygone eras shaped Turkey into a crossroads of ancient religions before the rise of today’s faiths.

Religious Freedom in Modern Turkey

As a secular democracy, the modern Republic of Turkey seeks to protect religious freedom. However, the dominant status of Sunni Islam has led to tensions with minority groups. Christians and Jews gained official recognition through the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, but other groups struggle for full religious rights.

Controversies have included restrictions on non-Muslim religious training and clergy, anti-conversion laws, and difficulties for Bahá’ís and heterodox Muslim sects to register legally. Women’s headscarves have also been restricted in state institutions. On the other hand, important churches have been rebuilt and historic synagogues protected.

Balancing secularism, democracy, and Islam remains an ongoing challenge in Turkey. The diverse religious makeup of the country is both a point of pride and source of social friction. But protecting minority faiths remains important for human rights. Understanding Turkey’s complex religious landscape is key to appreciating the cultural wealth of this historic crossroads region.

Turkey’s location at the center of historic empires and trade routes has given it a richly diverse religious make-up over the millennia. The country’s culture today is predominantly shaped by Islam, the faith of over 99% of Turks. Yet significant minority religions like Christianity and Judaism have an ancient presence dating back thousands of years and still have active communities today. Smaller groups introduce even more spiritual diversity, from the mystical Alevi-Bektashi tradition to the ancient Yazidi faith. While now a constitutionally secular state, Turkey’s essential multifaith character remains alive and profoundly important to its history and society.