Alevi Community in Birmingham

Where they come from

Alevism is a faith tradition with roots in Anatolia, in modern Turkey, and many Alevis are Turkish or Kurdish. It honours Ali and the family of the Prophet, and it values equality between men and women, love and tolerance. Many Alevis came to Britain from the 1980s onwards.

The community in numbers

At the 2021 Census, out of a city population of 1,144,919, 12 residents gave their religion as Alevi. Many Alevis give their religion as Muslim or give no answer, so the community is larger than this figure.

Working for Birmingham

Alevis in Britain work in catering, retail, construction, education and business, and many run restaurants and shops. The community is known for its commitment to education and to the rights of women and minorities.

Birmingham is one of the youngest and most diverse cities in Europe, and its progress has always depended on people who chose to make it home. Its hospitals, schools and universities, its building sites, workshops, warehouses and kitchens all rely on skills brought from around the world. The Alevi community adds its own share to that effort, and takes pride in giving back to the city that welcomed it.

Culture and community life

Alevis worship in a cemevi, a gathering house, where the cem ceremony includes music, poetry and the semah, a ritual dance recognised by UNESCO. The baglama, a long-necked lute, is central to Alevi music, and the poetry of Pir Sultan Abdal and Haci Bektas Veli is deeply loved.

The story of the Alevi community in Birmingham is still being written, by students, workers, parents and pensioners who call the city home. It is a story of hard work, friendship and quiet pride, and Birmingham is richer for it.