View source for Tekke of Frashër

{{Short description|Bektashi shrine in Frashër, Albania}}
{{Infobox historic site
|name=Tekke of Frashër
|native_name=Teqeja e Frashërit
|native_language=Albanian
|image=Teqe of Frashër - Mapillary (xBfC8aYNkqSGJl5Wg2Avng).jpg
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|designation1=Cultural Monument of Albania
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|coordinates = {{coord|40.3601|N|20.4287|E|source:wikidata|display=inline,title}}
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{{Bektashi|all}}
The '''Tekke of Frashër''' ({{Langx|sq|Teqeja e Frashërit}}) or '''Nasibî Tâhir Baba Tekke''' is a [[Bektashi]] [[shrine]] and [[Bektashism in Albania|Albanian Bektashi]] [[takya|tekke]] founded in 1781 and registered [[Cultural Monument of Albania|Cultural Monument]] of [[Albania]], located in [[Frashër]], [[Gjirokastër County]] in southern [[Albania]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kshk.gov.al/index.php?fq=brenda&gj=gj2&kid=19|title=Religious buildings with the "Culture Monument" status|publisher=Republic of Albania National Committee for Cult|access-date=October 28, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706071224/http://kshk.gov.al/index.php?fq=brenda&gj=gj2&kid=19|archive-date=July 6, 2011}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Elsie 2019 189">{{cite book | last=Elsie | first=Robert | author-link=Robert Elsie | title=The Albanian Bektashi: history and culture of a Dervish order in the Balkans | publisher=I.B. Tauris | publication-place=London | year=2019 | isbn=978-1-78831-569-2 | pages=189 | oclc=1108619669}}</ref>
==History==
[[Takya]]s (or ''{{lang|tr|tekke}}''s in Turkish) were centers of [[Islamic Mysticism]] and theology which provided a popular alternative to normative [[Islam]].<ref>{{citation| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aCdYHU9PtiIC&q=albanian+A%C5%9F%C4%B1k+%C3%87elebi&pg=PA39| page=39| title=Religion und Kultur im albanischsprachigen Südosteuropa| author=Oliver Jens Schmitt| isbn=9783631602959 |year=2010| publisher= 	Frankfurt am Main : P. Lang, cop}}</ref>
The tekke was founded at the time of [[Ali Pasha Tepelena]].<ref name="Norris">{{citation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RGmzir-ITtUC&q=tekke+Frash%C3%ABr&pg=PA73| page=162| title=Islam in the Balkans: Religion and Society Between Europe and the Arab World| author=H. T. Norris|publisher=University of South Carolina Press|year=1993|isbn=9780872499775}}</ref> [[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.<ref name="Norris"/><ref name="Elsie 2019 189"/> 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 [[Sufism|Sufi]] mysticism, but also a stronghold of Albanian nationalism. It would affect also the work of future figures of the [[Albanian National Awakening]] [[Sami Frashëri|Şemseddin Sami Frashëri]], and his brothers [[Naim Frashëri|Naim]] and [[Abdyl Frashëri|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.<ref name="KBB">[http://www.komunitetibektashi.org/in.php?fq=brenda&m=shfaqart&aid=55 Teqeja e Frashërit - Vatër e zjarrtë (in Albanian), World Bektashi Headquarters] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208122031/http://www.komunitetibektashi.org/in.php?fq=brenda&m=shfaqart&aid=55 |date=2015-12-08 }}</ref><ref name="Elsie 2019 189"/>
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.<ref>{{cite book | last=Elsie | first=Robert | author-link=Robert Elsie | title=The Albanian Bektashi: history and culture of a Dervish order in the Balkans | publisher=I.B. Tauris | publication-place=London | year=2019 | isbn=978-1-78831-569-2 | pages=189–190 | oclc=1108619669}}</ref>
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 [[Greeks|Greek]] forces of [[Georgios Christakis-Zografos|Zografos]] in June 1914.<ref name="KBB"/><ref>{{citation| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6inIiCF_930C&q=robert+elsie+bektashism&pg=PA40| title=Historical Dictionary of Albania| author=Robert Elsie| page=40|edition=2|series=Historical Dictionaries of Europe|number=75|publisher=Screcrow Press| year=2010| isbn=9780810861886|quote=...and in particular by burning and looting of the Albanian tekkes by Greek extremists during the Balkan War and World War I}}</ref> 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 [[Bektashism in Albania|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.<ref name="KBB"/><ref>{{cite book | last=Elsie | first=Robert | author-link=Robert Elsie | title=The Albanian Bektashi: history and culture of a Dervish order in the Balkans | publisher=I.B. Tauris | publication-place=London | year=2019 | isbn=978-1-78831-569-2 | pages=190–192 | oclc=1108619669}}</ref>
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.<ref name="KBB"/><ref>{{cite book | last=Elsie | first=Robert | author-link=Robert Elsie | title=The Albanian Bektashi: history and culture of a Dervish order in the Balkans | publisher=I.B. Tauris | publication-place=London | year=2019 | isbn=978-1-78831-569-2 | pages=192 | oclc=1108619669}}</ref>
==Bektashi clerics who have served<ref name="KBB"/>==
*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==
{{reflist}}
{{Religious Cultural Monuments in Gjirokastër County}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Teqe Of Frasher}}
[[Category:Cultural Monuments of Albania]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Përmet]]
[[Category:Religious buildings and structures completed in 1815]]
[[Category:Sufi tekkes in Albania]]
[[Category:Bektashi tekkes]]