Zall Tekke Explained

Zall Tekke
Native Name:Teqeja e Zallit
Native Language:Albanian
Designation1:Cultural Monument of Albania
Location:Gjirokastër
Built:1780

The Zall Tekke (Albanian: Teqeja e Zallit) or Asim Baba Tekke (Turkish: Âsım Baba Tekkesi) is a Bektashi teqe in Gjirokastër, Albania. It is a Cultural Monument of Albania.[1]

History

Seyyid Muhammed Asim Baba of Üsküdar (Istanbul) founded the tekke in 1780. It is also known as the Teqeja e Zallit (Gravel Tekke) or as the "Tekke of Pebbles" due to its location at the side of a river bed that is usually dry.[2]

The tekke was administered by the following babas.[2]

The tekke also hosted a library with books and manuscripts in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and later also Albanian. For 3 years during the Balkan Wars and also during World War I, Greek soldiers were stationed at the tekke, which did not have any babas and dervishes at the time due to the wars. The baba and dervishes later returned, and the tekke was restored in 1916.[2]

References

40.0671°N 20.1492°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Religious buildings with the "Culture Monument" status. Republic of Albania National Committee for Cult. October 28, 2010.
  2. Book: Elsie, Robert . Robert Elsie . The Albanian Bektashi: history and culture of a Dervish order in the Balkans . I.B. Tauris . London . 2019 . 978-1-78831-569-2 . 1108619669.