Religion-based communal formations in contemporary societies: examining the interscalar territoriality of the Menzil Community in Türkiye

Modernization processes, often portrayed as neutral trajectories, have historically operated as sociopolitical instruments that reshaped space and marginalized religion in urban life. In response, contemporary religious groups have generated counter-territorialities, producing alternative spatial orders. Despite their increasing visibility, religion-based communal formations remain underexplored within urban geography and planning scholarship. This article investigates the Menzil Community, one of the most influential Sufi-based religious groups in Türkiye, and the territorialization dynamics of Menzil Village, its spiritual center, through a multi-scalar analytical framework. As a case rarely examined through spatial analysis, it offers a critical lens to address the absence of religion in spatial theory. Two spatial dimensions are explored: (1) the nationwide institutional network radiating from Menzil Village, and (2) the village itself as a purpose-driven intentional community. GIS-based mapping reveals the community’s sociopolitical presence through its geographical distribution and institutional typologies, while spatial and morphological analyses of Menzil Village uncover its distinctive territorial logic. Findings highlight two interrelated drivers of spatial formation: religiously coded semantic-normative practices and programmatic self-sufficiency. The study reframes religious communal geographies within planning discourse, emphasizing their implications for inclusive and context-sensitive urban policy.