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Bektashi World Centre

The main building and tekke

In the entrance to the tekke - Imam Ali and Haji Bektash

The tombs of leaders of the Bektashi community

Haji Bektash

The future Bektashi cultural centre

Haxhi Dede Reshat Bardhi

Comments

Anonymous said…
wow...another bektashi posting...if i didnt know any better i'd say u were converting to the bektashi religion alwin...LOL!
olli said…
Just an old-fashioned baptist myself nick
Anonymous said…
Any idea where does the Bektashi Community get its financing? There is some concern in some circles (namely me) that Iran has gained quite a bit a leverage and Bektashi theology is really in a sorry state and cannot compete with the theo-dollars from Persia.

Nick: Alwyin is doing what any good British brigadier would: scope out the local culture, and use it to divide and conquer (LoL)
Anonymous said…
I saw Bardhi on tv at some gov party. They had caught him drinking big glasses of red wine over and over again.

heheh
Anonymous said…
I think they were allowed to drink, no? So, you can drink all you want, eat all you can, marry seven women, don't have to work and theorize all day, where the sacrifice in that?

But, I read somewhere that the Bektashi were considered so bizarre by some muslim scholars (apparently outside of Albania) that they considered them altogether outside of islam. I also read that they include pagan and christian elements in their religion. Alwyn do you know this to be true? Was their creator that black jewish messiah or something.
Anonymous said…
You know the orthodox will badmouth all heretics, and for sure the Bektashis are heretics.

However, in retrospect heretics are always more logical, nicer, and fun than the orthodox.

So you can tell that 'outside' muslim scholar to shove it.

here, poke some fun at him too:

http://www.bektashi.net/beliefs-jokes1.html
olli said…
More mystical movements within any religious tradition tend to get a bad press from the more doctrinaire elements.

Sunni's don't like Bektashi the same way they don't like Shia, because Bektashism has a lot in common with Shia Islam.

As far as I know the Iranians do try to get some leverage with the Bektashi but with limited success.

There are no theo-dollars: that's why the Bektashi are the only religious community here not building grand new mosques/churches all over the place.

The only outside source of funding that I know of is Bektashis in the US.

Regarding Shabbetai Zevi (Zvi)it's all very obscure but it seems more likely that bektashi's influenced him - especially after his conversion to islam - than the other way round.

Do they incorporate traditions from other religions? Yes. The same way all religions do - not generally as doctrine but as practice.
james said…
Where is the Bektashi World Center? Are they building the new cultural center at the same location? Is it normally open for tours? Did you realize that you have possibly become the Community Outreach director for Bektashi Albania?
olli said…
It's sort of east - Rr Dhimiter Kamarda. Cultural centre is on site. There are no official tours but you can just turn up and have a look round. Best times 10-1, 5-7.

Look out for more info in the new edition of IYP guide to Tirana
Anonymous said…
I just came across this blog. You have some really interesting stuff here and I like the design...
ibn Abee Jetmir said…
bektashis are not considered muslims even by the not so strict albanian muslims. they are totally different, and have beliefs which go totally against Quranic teachings. they turn their "shaykhs" divine, all hearing, all seeing beings. the reason he was probably drinking is because he is a shaykh, and we cant understand what he does, so we accept it without questioning. their shaykhs make claims like "i was just praying in makkah" while in albania. quite some beliefs eh?

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