Albania was first a catholic country due to Romans invasion, but in the 15th century after the Ottoman invasion it became Muslim. Since it shares a board in the south with Greece many inhabitants of these areas are orthodox. From the end of the 1960 practicing a religion was forbidden by the communist regime. It was after the fall of this regime that the Albanians started to practice the religion again, even though they didn’t make much sense to them by that time.
In central Albania there is a great number of Mosques as well as there is also a big number of orthodox cathedrals in the south. Shkodra is the perfect example of the coexistence and harmony between different religions. In the main square of the city you can see next to each other: one orthodox cathedral, one catholic cathedral and one mosque. In Albania there can be found also a small number of religious objects since the majority of them were destroyed by Enver Hoxha. He turned all the religious objects in depots of food or used them for military purposes; he saved only the Mosque of Et’hem Bey and churches in Voskopoja, which he considered as “art works of the Albanian heritage”. The biggest orthodox cathedral in Tirana, “The Resurrection of Christ” was consecrated by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople in June 2014.
The Bektashi Order is a Sufi Islamic creed with a long mystic tradition in Albania. Espoused by the Janissaries, the elite soldiers of the Ottoman
The Tekke and the Worldwide Headquarters were reopened on March 22nd 1991 after the fell of communism.
In the north we can see how the people respect a code named the Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini. The Kanun was like the law for the North of Albania but it also affected other aspects like moral and social ones.
Bektashism
The Bektashi Order is an Islamic Sufi order that spread to Albania through Albanian Janissaries during the period of Ottoman control in Albania. The Bektashi make up 20% of Albania’s Muslim population and 2.5% of the country’s population. In Albania, the Bektashi Order has taken on a patriotic and nationalistic character, and it has played a major role in the Albanian National Awakening. Bektashi leaders have historically been prominent members in Albanian movements for self-determination and national autonomy, which has contributed to its popularity amongst the Albanians, and for most of Albania’s Bektashi community, their affiliation with the order is based on cultural heritage rather than actual religious belief. In regards to ethics, the Bektashi adhere to the line “Be master of your hands, your tongue, and your loins” which essentially means do not steal, do not lie or speak idly, and do not commit adultery.
Bektashism began to spread in Albania after its occupation by the Ottoman sultans. Despite all this, in Albania as in all other countries of the Balkans – Bektashism did not spread immediately, but slowly with patience and wisdom. One of the biggest obstacles was the language issue. The Bektash missionaries were Turks and Persians and knew no other language than their own.
These missionaries were sent to Albania and other countries of the Balkans, for the first time, from the great Bektashi center of Dimoteka. They worked tactfully and smartly and that’s how they were able to take a place in Albania. Despite this, at first they encountered many obstacles and suffered persecution. Some martyrs fell among them, such as Pir Sultan Abdalli of Kosovo and Shah Kalenderi of Elbasan.
The Bektashi missionaries were sent to the area in small groups, consisting of three people: a Baba and two Dervlishes. Among the first missionaries sent to Albania were Baba Ali Horasani in Krujë; Dylgjer Hysejni in Elbasan; Baba Arshiu in Gjirokastra and many others. That all of them went to Albania between the 14th and 15th centuries.
These missionaries worked tirelessly to lay the foundations of Bektashism in Albania as well as in other countries of the Balkans, but they could not raise Teqe. The one who finally achieved his goal was Durballi Sultan, who was able to build the great Theca in Thessaly, Greece. This Teqe helped a lot for the spread of Bektashism in the southern part of Macedonia and the Gulf, where later a large Teqe was founded, headed by Resmi Babaj. After that, Teqeja of Kerçova, Tetova, Prizren and Gjakova were erected.
In the 17th century, the first Bektashi Teqe was established in Gjirokastra. This Teqe was founded by Asim Babaj. A little later, the famous Teqeja of Shemini Babaj was erected in Krujë, which played an important role in the spread of Bektashism. After some time, Xhefai Ibrahim Babaj founded the important Teqe of Elbasan. At the same time, Teqeja e Kosturi was opened, under the chairmanship of Rustem Babaj. Then they opened Teqeja e Melçan, in Korça; Teqeja e Kučit, in Devoll; Teqeja of Prishta, in Skrapar; Teqeja of Baba Hajdër, in Gjirokastër; Teqeja of Koshtan; Teqeja of Gllava, and others. Another Teqe of great importance was that of Frasher, headed by Nasib Tahir Babaj.
Despite all this, even Bektashism in Albania could not escape the wrath of Sultan Mahmud. Among other bad actions, the emissaries of Sultan Mahmud burned Baba Aliko’s Teqene in Berat, together with a precious library he had. The burning of this Teqeja, especially its library, was a great loss for Bektashism. In this library there were many valuable old works, especially manuscripts in Arabic and Persian on Bektashi philosophy and mysticism. The emissaries of Sultan Mahmud simultaneously burned the Teqe of Qoprilia in Manastir and that of Melçan in Korça. Sultan Mahmud’s attack against Bektashism in Albania was severe, but the Albanians’ desire to keep Bektashism alive was also strong. This desire made it possible for Bektashism to stand and flourish in Albania, although it was later fought again by the Ottoman rulers. And it was for the sake of this desire that the number of Teqeves, big and small, reached 53 in Albania in 1938.
But Bektashism in Albania gained even greater importance when its world center moved from Ankara to Tirana, after the decision given by the Turkish National Assembly on November 20, 1925, in the wake of which all Bektashite Teqet and Zaviyets in Turkey were closed. . In this way, Albania became the General Headquarters of Bektashism, at the head of which was Nijazi Dedeja, the former head of Teqe se Haxhi Bektashi in Turkey. He came from Ankara to Tirana in 1931. Nijazi Dedeja was an Albanian from the Colony of Korça.
It is no longer known for sure what the number of Bektashis is in different countries of the world, but it is believed to reach some 7,000,000 people, most of whom live in the Near and Middle East, in North Africa and in the Balkans. In Albania alone, there were estimated to be some 200,000 Bektashins before 1938, that is, twenty percent of the total population at that time.
Baba Ali Turabiu, the former holder of Teqe i Tomori, in his work The General History of the Bektashinjvet, published in Tirana in 1929, writes that:
“Before the destruction of the Janissaries and the dispersal of the Bektashi sect in 1826, annual statistics were kept and they showed that the number of Bektashi at that time was 7,370,000: 100,000 in Albania, 120,000 in Istanbul, and the rest were scattered in Iraq, the Gulf, Macedonia and other parts of other Balkans.”
Another important event for the Bektashis of Albania was their Assembly that was held in Teqene e Turani, near Korça, in September 1929, under the chairmanship of Baba Kamber Prishte. In that Assembly, in which delegates from almost all the provinces of Albania took part, the Regulation of Albanian Bektashi was drawn up and approved. Based on this Regulation – which was approved by the Albanian Parliament, – Albania was divided into six Provinces: Prishte, Krujë, Elbasan, Korçe, Frasher and Gjirokastër. Next to the Bektashian Headquarters in Tirana, the following Councils were also established: the General Council, composed of twelve lay and clerical members; and the Holy Council, consisting of the holders of the six Grandmothers headed by the Grandfather. The General Council dealt with administrative matters and the Holy Council with religious matters.
Bektashism, despite being a sect of Islam, was generally considered in Albania as a separate religion. This was due to its importance and the large number of followers it had. Therefore, the Bektashi element was always taken into account. Faik Konitza’s contemporary Albania almost always published this announcement on its last page:
“The group of collaborators of our magazine consists of Muslims, Orthodox, Catholics and Bektashins.”
Even this was taken into account by the Historical Congress of Lushnja in 1920 that formed the Supreme Council of the Albanian State, consisting of four people: a Sunni, an Orthodox, a Catholic and a Bektashi. The Bektashi member was Aqif Pashë Elbasani.
