World Headquarters of the Bektashi

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The World Headquarters of the Bektashi or Bektashi World Center (Albanian: Kryegjyshata Botërore Bektashiane; often simply known in Albanian as the Kryegjyshata) is the international headquarters of the Bektashi Order, a Sufi order. It is located on Dhimitër Kamarda Street at the eastern edge of Tirana, the capital of Albania. It serves as the centre of the Albanian Bektashi Order. The site is proposed to form the territory of the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order. The headquarters also has a museum, library, and archive. There is a possibility that the Albanian government will be granting territorial sovereignty to the Bektashi Order, which will be a "theocratic microstate" much like Vatican City, but smaller. This state would allow alcohol and permit women to dress as they wish, showcasing the Bektashi as a moderate branch of Islam. History Before the secularization of Turkey in 1925, the Haji Bektash Veli Complex in Hacıbektaş, Turkey was home to the pir evi (Turkish for "pir's house") of Haji Bektash Veli, which served as the international headquarters of the Bektashi Order. Atatürk's 1925 ban on all dervish orders caused the exodus of the Bektashi Order to Albania in 1925,...

The tyrbes (holy tombs) of several dedebabas, including Kamber Ali, Abaz Hilmi, and Ahmet Myftar, are buried at the Headquarters. On 7 February 2015, the Bektashi Museum and the Bektashi Library were inaugurated.The archives contain many historic documents in various languages such as Albanian, Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, English, French, and Italian, with the earliest document dating back to 1847. There are also photograph collections, audio tapes, and microfilms. The audio collection preserves rare recordings of Bektashi musical traditions.