Umbrella group also announces plans for branch in Manchester
The British Alevi Federation has announced a fresh enlargement, with Cemevi in Swansea and Leicester opening this week.
BAF chairman İsrafil Erbil was among those attending the formal opening on Monday 23 January in Swansea, which raised the number of member Cemevi to 16.
The federation, which is in its fourth year, acts as an umbrella organisation for Alevi groups across the country and boasts members in cities as far apart as Bournemouth, Coventry, Doncaster, Edinburgh and Hull.
A new Cemevi is set to open in Manchester next Sunday, 5 February.
Alevism is a faith with origins in Shia Islam that combines Anatolian folk traditions with Sufi elements. Their worship takes place in assembly houses, known as Cemevi, and features music, singing, and dancing in which both women and men participate.
