Symbolic Cretanness: Descendants of Cretan Muslims in Present-Day Turkey

Abstract

This article investigates the relationship between second- and third-generation descendants of Cretan Muslims in Turkey and their Cretanness. It takes the public manifestations of and heightened involvement with Cretanness that have recently been taking place in Turkey as a starting point and develops a framework to elucidate the contemporary dynamics of Cretanness. Through in-depth interviews and participant observation, this study reveals that Cretanness has undergone transformation for the current generations. It is characterized by the fading of certain cultural aspects, but by a parallel vocal identification with Cretanness. This dual pattern is unified under the concept “symbolic Cretanness,” inspired by Herbert Gans’ notion of “symbolic ethnicity.” The article argues that this current form of Cretanness encompasses the pursuit of visibility, an intermittent involvement with origins, and the precedence of symbols, the most significant of which is food.