The sacred is a space/time in which, often through a series of rites, the faithful attempt to pay homage to God, or even to supernatural forces. The reality of holy places is universal, regardless of cultural area. It is a quest for the absolute, a search for the divine presence, an aspiration to communicate between Almighty God and pious beings. It is worth noting man’s propensity for an almost limitless extension of sacred places and objects: mausoleum, stone, spring, sacred alphabet, icons… The notion of sanctity in religious thought, attached to the purity of a space, a time, an object, unquestionably contains violence and exclusion. The sacredness of places is very often linked to the couple inclusion/exclusion; pure/impure; licit/illicit; permitted/prohibited, and can give rise to a divided vision of the world.
+ How can all this be dealt with in dialogue?
+ How can we make religious space a place of fruitful inclusion, while respecting the diversity that is a condition for genuine dialogue?

We will try to find a first answer to these questions by visiting the “semahane” of the Cenan Vakfı under the guidance of Kenan Gürsoy and Claudio Monge.

The dialogue will be in Turkish and English. Entry is free. Please book your seat by writing to info@senpiyer.org