Tirana: Albania plans to create a sovereign Muslim enclave in Tirana for the Bektashi religious order, modeled after the Vatican in Rome, to promote and preserve religious tolerance, Prime Minister Edi Rama announced on Saturday.
If approved, the Bektashi enclave would become one of the world’s smallest sovereign entities, featuring its own administration but operating without police, taxation, or an army. It would not compromise Albania’s sovereignty, Rama clarified.
“The history of the Bektashi is in itself an imposing call to give the holy seat of the Bektashi World Center a status similar to that of the Vatican,” Rama said during a ceremony marking the 95th anniversary of the holy seat’s relocation to Albania from Turkey.
Rama described the envisioned state as “without walls, without police, without an army, without taxes or other attributes, but a headquarters, a spiritual state.”
Historical and Cultural Significance
The Bektashi order, an Islamic Sufi sect, was founded in the 13th century within the Ottoman Empire. It moved its headquarters to Albania in 1929 following restrictions imposed by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s secular reforms in Turkey.
According to Rama, Albania intends to establish the Bektashi state in the eastern part of Tirana as a spiritual hub for its adherents, who are spread across the region, including in Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Albania.
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About 10% of Albania’s population identifies as Bektashi, according to the last census.
Parliamentary Approval Required
The proposal requires parliamentary endorsement, and specific timelines for its realization have not yet been disclosed.
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“This initiative reflects our nation’s deep respect for religious harmony and the cultural heritage of the Bektashi order,” Rama said.
