AHI EVRAN
The real name of Ahi Evran, who is considered the founder of the Ahi organization in Anatolia and the master of 32 tradesmen, is Mahmud. He was called Mahmud bin Ahmed al-Hoyî (Mahmud, son of Hoylu Ahmet) after his father's name and place of birth. It is stated that this virtuous scholar and mystic, Ahi Piri, the founder of the Ahi Organization, which is based on brotherhood, generosity, bravery, self-sacrifice, honesty, quality, production, morality, art, reason and science, was martyred at the age of 93 while fighting against the Mongols. is being done. 1261 (H.653). His grave is next to the mosque named after him in Kırşehir.
In order to understand the institution of Ahism and to reveal how it functions in social life, first of all, it is necessary to focus on the origin of the word Ahi and the meanings it has gained in historical development. Ahilik means "my brother" in Arabic or "akı" in Turkish (in Divan'ül Lügat'it Türk), "generous", "open-handed". As a term, XVIII. Even though it turned into a tradesman-artist union after the XIII century. It can be described as a system with religious, social, cultural, economic and political dimensions that started to be seen in Anatolia since the 19th century and played a major role in the nationalization of Anatolia and the establishment of the Ottoman State.