Votive Exopraxis. Muslim Pilgrims at a Christian Orthodox Monastery (Büyükada, Istanbul)

Résumé En

Twice a year, the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. George on the island of Büyükada -off the coast of Istanbul- attracts tens of thousands of Muslims who come to formulate wishes characterized by a strong formal heterogeneity: candles, stones, fabrics, threads, drawings and sculptures based on sugar or twig tiles, etc.We propose to consider such votive rituality performed by Muslims as exopraxis, since they borrow both the place and the ritual practices from the “ religious other”, generating a very inventive and cross-cultural poaching (“braconnage”) and bricolage. We define “exopraxis” as a practice of the place of the Other, whether considered orthodox or heterodox.This article analyzes how the proliferation of these votive exopraxis disrupt the ecosystem of the sanctuary, by discreetly reversing the belief that, up till now, structured the topography of the sanctuary shared by Christians and Muslims.Due to its dynamism and scope, but especially in terms of the number of visitors, this “shared” pilgrimage is perhaps the most important in the contemporary religious landscape of the Middle East. Aya Yorgi (“Saint George”, in Greek) is also one of the most visited sanctuaries in Istanbul. It is part of a broader geography of the sacred that extends beyond Christian churches and sacred springs (ayazma) to include many mausoleums of Muslim saints (türbe) and holy places (yatır) blessed with grace.