Albania is considering the creation of a new religious “microstate”, similar to the Vatican in Italy, writes Aleteia.org.
Albania may soon make this historic decision by granting the Bektashi Order its own sovereign microstate in its capital, Tirana.
The proposed microstate, which would cover 27 acres, would allow the Bektashi, a Sufi religious mystical order dating back to the 13th century, to run its own affairs - much like the Vatican.
Founded by Haji Bektash Veli, the order combines elements of Shiite Islam with Sufi mysticism. Historically, it played a key role in the Ottoman Empire, especially among elite soldiers such as the Janissaries. Despite its influence, the order was banned throughout the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century and later suppressed in Turkey during the secular reforms of the 1920s. Since then, its global headquarters has been in Albania.
With an estimated 20 million followers in the Balkans and the Middle East, the Bektashi Order remains influential. Under Prime Minister Edi Rama's new proposal, the order would be granted full administrative autonomy, issue passports, maintain its own government and preserve religious traditions. For the Bektashi community, the creation of a microstate would represent recognition of Albania's unique role as a crossroads of religious and cultural harmony.