Abstract EN:

This work is about the migration of people coming from Mardin through their life story. Mardin, situated in South East Turkey and lying right upon the Syrian border is home to a great many different ethnic and religious communities : Sunnis Chaffi Kurds, Sunnis Hanefi Arabs and Turks (who are Tchetchens at origin), Orthodox Syriaques, Catholic Armenians and Gregorians and finally Yezidis whose religion predates many of our modern day religions. Migration is very much a way of life for many of these people, effecting their life style and their family structures. But does migration serve to reinforce or weaken the very cultural and religious identities that mark them out? This study analyses not only how and why such communities migrate but how migration effects the behaviour patterns of those that do it, not only within the communities themselves but also between the different migratory communities. By adopting a micro social approach the study takes into consideration the various social and religious issues now facing Turkish society as a whole.