Tekke of Frashër

The Tekke of Frashër (Albanian: Teqeja e Frashërit) or Nasibî Tâhir Baba Tekke is a Bektashi shrine and Albanian Bektashi tekke founded in 1781 and registered Cultural Monument of Albania, located in Frashër, Gjirokastër County in southern Albania.[1] The tekke was crucial to the Albanian National Awakening, particularly in the nationalist movements of the late 19th century, and it was one of the wealthiest and revered tekkes in Albania.[2]

Tekke of Frashër
Native name
Albanian: Teqeja e Frashërit
Coordinates40.3601°N 20.4287°E / 40.3601; 20.4287
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History

Tekkes were centers of Islamic Mysticism and theology which provided a popular alternative to normative Islam.[3]

The tekke was founded at the time of Ali Pasha Tepelena.[4] Nasibi Tahir Babai, a local poet and mystic, founded the tekke in either 1815 or 1825 upon his return from his travels in the Middle East.[4][2] After his death in 1835 - upon which a tyrbe was constructed in his honour and subsequently became an important pilgrimage site - his son Jusuf Skënderasi took over. The tekke became well known in Southern Albania. During the era of Baba Alushi (1846-1902), the tekke would become not only a center of Sufi mysticism, but also a stronghold of Albanian nationalism. It would affect also the work of future figures of the Albanian National Awakening Şemseddin Sami Frashëri, and his brothers Naim and Abdyl. On 30 May 1878, the Albanian Committee of Janina held a meeting led by Baba Alushi and Abdyl Frashëri, as a countermeasure for the decisions of the Treaty of San Stefano. The meeting came out with several demands towards the Great Powers, which would serve as basis for the soon-to-come League of Prizren. The tekke served as a headquarters during the League's existence (1878-1881) and many follow up meetings were held there.[5][2]

During this period, the tekke served as a centre for the distribution of Albanian-language books (which was outlawed by the Ottoman Empire) and aided in spreading Albanian nationalist sentiment throughout the country, particularly during the leadership of Baba Alush. Baba Alush was followed by Baba Hysejn and Baba Zejnel Abedin (died in 1913) from Backa in the region of Skrapar; Baba Zejnel even gave refuge to Albanian freedom fighter Mihal Grameno and his fighters, dressing them up as dervish novices to disguise them from Ottoman Turkish troops who raided the tekke. During his stay, Grameno recorded that the tekke was superbly clean and orderly under the leadership of Baba Zejnel Abedin, who was described to be a true holy man who worked to help the poor. Both Muslims and Christians deeply respected Baba Abedin, and the 15-16 dervishes who served under him were also well-educated patriots who were crucial to the Albanian National Awakening by functioning as emissaries and preachers of Albanian national sentiment.[6]

During 1909–1910, the tekke contributed in spreading the Albanian schools and education in the area, and had about twenty dervishes prior to the First World War. It was destroyed by the Greek forces of Zografos in June 1914.[5][7] It was reconstructed with the contribution of Albanian-Americans in 1923. At the First National Congress of the Bektashi, held on 14–17 January 1921 in the Teqe of Prishta in the Skrapar region, the tekke of Frashër was represented by Baba Mustafa. When the Albanian Bektashi Order was reformed in 1930, Frashër became one of the six new Bektashi administrative districts of Albania (called a gjyshata). Gjysh Mustafa Qerezi functioned as the leader from 1930 to 1933, followed by Gjysh Murat in 1934–1941. After World War II and the Communist takeover of Albania, the baba of the tekke - Baba Mehmet Zykaj - was arrested and thereby imprisoned for nearly 15 years until his death in 1959. Frashër became the Bektashi center for Përmet area in 1942, seat of the prefecture of Vlora in 1945 and then the sub-prefecture of Berat, but lost its status as a Gjyshata in around 1950. It was a Gjyshatë Nderi (Honorific Gjyshatë) in 1962.[5][8]

During the prohibition of religions from 1967 to 1991 in Communist Albania it stopped functioning, but was not destroyed due to being strongly associated with the patriotic deeds of Abdyl Frashëri and the League of Prizren. The tekke was restored in 1995 and has a feast day on the fifth of September.[5][9]

Bektashi clerics who have served[5]
  • Baba Tahir Nasibi Skënderasi 1815 - 1835
  • Jusuf Skënderasi 1835 - 1846
  • Baba Alushi 1846 - 1902
  • Baba Abedini Ibro 1903 - 1913
  • Baba Sheme 1913 - 1929
  • Baba Mustafa Qerezi 1930 - 1933
  • Baba Murati 1934 -1941
  • Baba Abaz Hilmi 1942 – 1945
  • Baba Mehmet Zykaj 1945 –1959
  • Baba Dervish Xhemal Shkëmbi 1960 - 1967
  • Përparim Skënderasi 1995 - (as administrator)

References
  1. "Religious buildings with the "Culture Monument" status". Republic of Albania National Committee for Cult. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  2. Elsie, Robert (2019). The Albanian Bektashi: history and culture of a Dervish order in the Balkans. London: I.B. Tauris. p. 189. ISBN 978-1-78831-569-2. OCLC 1108619669.
  3. Oliver Jens Schmitt (2010), Religion und Kultur im albanischsprachigen Südosteuropa, Frankfurt am Main : P. Lang, cop, p. 39, ISBN 9783631602959
  4. H. T. Norris (1993), Islam in the Balkans: Religion and Society Between Europe and the Arab World, University of South Carolina Press, p. 162, ISBN 9780872499775
  5. Teqeja e Frashërit - Vatër e zjarrtë (in Albanian), World Bektashi Headquarters Archived 2015-12-08 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Elsie, Robert (2019). The Albanian Bektashi: history and culture of a Dervish order in the Balkans. London: I.B. Tauris. pp. 189–190. ISBN 978-1-78831-569-2. OCLC 1108619669.
  7. Robert Elsie (2010), Historical Dictionary of Albania, Historical Dictionaries of Europe (2 ed.), Screcrow Press, p. 40, ISBN 9780810861886, ...and in particular by burning and looting of the Albanian tekkes by Greek extremists during the Balkan War and World War I
  8. Elsie, Robert (2019). The Albanian Bektashi: history and culture of a Dervish order in the Balkans. London: I.B. Tauris. pp. 190–192. ISBN 978-1-78831-569-2. OCLC 1108619669.
  9. Elsie, Robert (2019). The Albanian Bektashi: history and culture of a Dervish order in the Balkans. London: I.B. Tauris. p. 192. ISBN 978-1-78831-569-2. OCLC 1108619669.
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