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Tomorr is a
mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have arise ...
in the region of
Berat Berat (; sq-definite, Berati) is the ninth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Berat County and Berat Municipality. By air, it is north of Gjirokastër, west of Korçë, south of Tirana, and east of Fier. Berat is located in ...
and
Skrapar Skrapar ( sq-definite, Skrapari) is a municipality in Berat County, southern Albania. It was created in 2015 by the merger of the former municipalities Bogovë, Çepan, Çorovodë, Gjerbës, Leshnjë, Potom, Qendër Skrapar, Vendreshë and Zhepë ...
, in
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
. It reaches an elevation of above sea level at the
Çuka e Partizanit Çuka e Partizanit is a mountain peak in Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and ...
, which is the highest peak in central Albania. Mount Tomorr is one of Albania's biggest water-collecting areas. Tomorr is situated within the
Tomorr National Park The Tomorr Mountain National Park ( sq, Parku Kombëtar "Mali i Tomorrit") is a national park founded in 1956 that lies in southern Albania, nestled in the central and higher portions of the Tomorr massif, spanning an area of since 2012, and ex ...
, which is noted for its diverse species of
deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...
and coniferous trees and a great variety of
flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...
. Many endangered species are free to roam and live in this area such as bears (
Ursus arctos The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is kno ...
), wolf (
Canis lupus The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...
), and birds of prey. Tomorr is a holy mountain for Albanians, and it is a site where annual pilgrimages take place during the second half of August. Along with St. Anthony's Catholic Church in
Laç Laç (; sq-definite, Laçi) is a town and a former Municipalities of Albania, municipality in Lezhë County, northwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision and the seat of the municipality Kurbin. It was the adm ...
, Mount Tomorr is the most frequented sacred place in Albania. Mount Tomorr offers various sports such as hiking, horse or donkey riding, canoeing, and skiing.


Name

The Albanian ''Tomor(r)'' derives from the Illyrian ''Tómaros'', from
Proto-Indo-European Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. Its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-European languages. No direct record of Proto-Indo- ...
''*tómhxes-'', "dark".
Illyrians The Illyrians ( grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, a ...
called the mountain ''Tómaros''. It was the most prominent mountain in southern Illyria. The mountain has been connected by modern scholars to Mount ''Amyron'' ( gr, Άμυρον), recorded by Stephanus of Byzantium (6th century AD) citing Hecataeus of Miletus (6th century BC). In the passage, it is reported that the
Dexaroi The Dexaroi ( grc, Δεξάροι) were an ancient Chaonian tribe living under Mount Amyron. In ancient literature the Dexari are mentioned only by the ancient Greek writer Hecataeus of Miletus (6th century BC), cited by Stephanus of Byzantium (6 ...
, a
Chaonian The Chaonians ( grc, Χάονες, Cháones) were an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region of Epirus currently part of north-western Greece and southern Albania.; ; ; ; ; . Together with the Molossians and the Thesprotians, they formed t ...
tribe, dwelled under this mountain. The mountain was probably located in a region that in
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
times was called Dassaretis. However, all these hypothetical connections remain uncertain.
Vibius Sequester Vibius Sequester (active in the 4th or 5th century AD) is the Latin author of lists of geographical names. Work ''De fluminibus, fontibus, lacubus, nemoribus, gentibus, quorum apud poëtas mentio fit'' is made up of seven alphabetical lists of ...
(4th or 5th century AD) records the mountain with the name ''Tomarus'', and locates it in the
Roman province of Macedonia Macedonia ( grc-gre, Μακεδονία) was a province of the Roman Empire, encompassing the territory of the former Antigonid Kingdom of Macedonia, which had been conquered by Rome in 168 BC at the conclusion of the Third Macedonian War. The pr ...
, near Apollonia. Among Byzantine authors the mountain was known as Tmoros ( el, Τμόρος) or Timoros ( el, links=no, Τίμορος). During the reign of Byzantine Emperor
Basil II Basil II Porphyrogenitus ( gr, Βασίλειος Πορφυρογέννητος ;) and, most often, the Purple-born ( gr, ὁ πορφυρογέννητος, translit=ho porphyrogennetos).. 958 – 15 December 1025), nicknamed the Bulgar S ...
, the sons of Bulgarian Tsar Ivad Vladislav fled in Tomorr to continue the war against the Byzantines after the collapse of First Bulgarian Empire in 1018, but soon surrendered as they reached an agreement and received great privileges. The last Bulgarian governor of Berat was an Elimagos. The 13th century was a series of changes in the region.
Manfred of Sicily Manfred ( scn, Manfredi di Sicilia; 123226 February 1266) was the last King of Sicily from the Hohenstaufen dynasty, reigning from 1258 until his death. The natural son of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, Manfred became regent over the ...
and then Angevine
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
after 1271-2 held control of the area. The fortress of Tomorr in the early 14th century is attested as ''Timoro(n)'' under Byzantine control. In 1337, the Albanian tribes which lived in the areas of Belegrita (the region of Mt. Tomorr) and Kanina rose in rebellion, and seized the fortress of Tomorr. There is little detail about the rebellion in primary sources.
John VI Kantakouzenos John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene ( el, , ''Iōánnēs Ángelos Palaiológos Kantakouzēnós''; la, Johannes Cantacuzenus;  – 15 June 1383) was a Byzantine Greek nobleman, statesman, and general. He served as grand domestic under ...
mentions that the Albanians in those areas rebelled despite the privileges which Andronikos III Palaiologos had given them a few years earlier. These events marked the movement of these Albanian tribes into
Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinri ...
for the first time. Andronikos led an army mainly composed of Turkish mercenaries, and defeated the Albanians, killing many and taking prisoners. In the 15th century the region of Mount Tomorr was interested in the Albanian-Ottoman Wars. All the local chieftains on both sides of the Tomorr mountain range were loyal to
Skanderbeg , reign = 28 November 1443 – 17 January 1468 , predecessor = Gjon Kastrioti , successor = Gjon Kastrioti II , spouse = Donika Arianiti , issue = Gjon Kastrioti II , royal house = Kastrioti , father ...
. In 1457 the Turks appear to have occupied a number of Albanian valleys. An Ottoman army under the leadership of Firuz Bey and Mihaloglu Ali Bey was sent westward and fought against the Albanian forces under Skanderbeg in the mountains of Albania in order to take possession of Kruje, Svetigrad and
Berat Berat (; sq-definite, Berati) is the ninth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Berat County and Berat Municipality. By air, it is north of Gjirokastër, west of Korçë, south of Tirana, and east of Fier. Berat is located in ...
. In Tomorr Skanderbeg won his bloodiest but also most brilliant victory on September 2, 1457. When Skanderbeg attacked Isa Bey's resting army, the Turks were taken completely by surprise and defeated. Sources report the massacre of 15.000 or, exaggerating, 30.000 soldiers of the Ottoman army. 15.000 prisoners, 24 horsetails of Ottoman commanders and the camp with all its precious contents fell into the hands of the Albanians. The particularities, beauty and sacredness of Mount Tomorr have been documented since the 17th century. Holy haunts were associated with certain orders of
Islamic mysticism Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
helping their expansion into the region. In the early 1880s, when the Bektashi Order was still growing, the movement took on a decisive Albanian nationalist character. The edifice at the top of the southern peak of Tomorr—a small round twelve-sided shrine encircled by a stone wall—is said to have been built or rebuilt during these years. Bektashis associated the shrine with the second tomb ( türbe/tyrbe) of the legendary figure of Abbas ibn Ali ( Albanian: ''Abaz Ali''). Unverified sources claim that his mausoleum existed on Mount Tomorr since the 17th century. In 1908-1909 a two-room stone ''dervishia'' was built some hundred metres below the ''tyrbe'', but according to the account of British journalist Joseph Swire who visited the place in 1930 it was burned by Greek armed groups in spring of 1914. A new '' tekke'' ( Albanian: ''teqe/teqja'') was founded and built in 1916 on the Kulmaku Mountain by Dervish Iljaz Vërzhezha, on the southeastern part of the Tomorr range, just below the old ''dervishia''. According to the Albanian Bektashis of the early 20th century the tekke was built on the site of an ancient pagan temple. Mount Tomorr certainly seems to have been the site of a pre-Christian cult and to have been worshiped by the locals, both Christians and Muslims, as a mountain with a supernatural force—swearing solemn oaths "By Him of Tomorr" and "By the Holy One of Tomorr", and practicing
ritual A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized ...
sacrifices Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exis ...
of animals—long before the shrine of Abbas Ali was correlated with the sacred site. There is also the oral tradition about the existence of the Church of Saint Marie there, however the site lacks concrete evidence of any ancient pre-Muslim shrine. The first head of the tekke seems to have been Baba Haxhi. In the period between 1921 and 1925 the tekke was headed by Baba Ali Tomorri. Around 1930 about five dervishes were living in the structure. During the
Greco-Italian War The Greco-Italian War (Greek: Ελληνοϊταλικός Πόλεμος, ''Ellinoïtalikós Pólemos''), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian Campaign in Greece, and the War of '40 in Greece, took place between the kingdoms of Italy and G ...
(1940-1941) the Greek forces managed to advance towards the Italian positions in the region and at early April 1941 the Tomorri sector was controlled by units of the West Macedonia Army Department of the Greek Army. Informations about the tekke during the communist period are scanty. After the communist dictatorship abolished religion in 1967, the pilgrimages stopped until the end of the regime. Under the pretext that the armed forces needed the mountain peak as a strategic military place, both the tyrbe and tekke were destroyed in 1967. After the
fall of communism The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Nat ...
, the tekke was reconstructed in 1992, and the tyrbe in 2008. The tekke is presently headed by Baba Shaban. The number of participants in pilgrimages continues to grow every year.


Cult and pilgrimage

Mount Tomorr is a sacred site to both
Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
, who climb it on
Assumption Day The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows: We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...
(August 15) to honor the
Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...
, and the
Bektashi The Bektashi Order; sq, Tarikati Bektashi; tr, Bektaşi or Bektashism is an Islamic Sufi mystic movement originating in the 13th-century. It is named after the Anatolian saint Haji Bektash Wali (d. 1271). The community is currently led by ...
, who honor Abbas ibn Ali during an annual pilgrimage on August 20–25.. According to the traditions of the Bektashi Order, a Sufi community based primarily in
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
, Abbas ibn Ali ( sq, Abaz Aliu) went to Albania on a white horse to save it from the barbarians, and continues to return to Mount Tomorr in Albania for five days (August 20-25) each year, during which animal sacrifices are made and homage is paid to Abbas ibn Ali. During these five days, Bektashi pilgrims visit the Abbas Ali Türbe, which is believed to house the remains of Abbas ibn Ali. The
türbe ''Türbe'' is the Turkish word for "tomb". In Istanbul it is often used to refer to the mausolea of the Ottoman sultans and other nobles and notables. The word is derived from the Arabic ''turbah'' (meaning ''"soil/ground/earth"''), which ...
is located on the southern peak of Mount Tomorr, which was originally constructed in 1620. The mausoleum lies adjacent to the Bektashi tekke on Mount Tomorr, which was built in 1916. īn another Bektashi legend, Haji Bektash once saw Christian pilgrims ascend Mount Tomorr on
August 15 Events Pre-1600 * 636 – Arab–Byzantine wars: The Battle of Yarmouk between the Byzantine Empire and the Rashidun Caliphate begins. * 717 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik begins the Second Arab Siege of Const ...
, the feast day of the
Assumption of the Virgin Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows: We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...
. He responded by making a journey to the grave of Abbas ibn Ali in the holy city of Karbala, where he dug up an arm bone belonging to Abbas ibn Ali. Haji Bektash then threw the arm bone up onto the peak of Mount Tomorr, thus turning the mountain into the second sacred grave (
türbe ''Türbe'' is the Turkish word for "tomb". In Istanbul it is often used to refer to the mausolea of the Ottoman sultans and other nobles and notables. The word is derived from the Arabic ''turbah'' (meaning ''"soil/ground/earth"''), which ...
) of Abbas ibn Ali. The cult of Mount Tomorr can be found in the Rilindja period of
Albanian literature Albanian literature stretches back to the Middle Ages and comprises those literary texts and works written in Albanian. It may also refer to literature written by Albanians in Albania, Kosovo and the Albanian diaspora particularly in Italy. Alb ...
where authors such as
Konstantin Kristoforidhi Kostandin Nelko (22 May 1827 – 7 March 1895), known as Kostandin Kristoforidhi, was an Albanian translator and scholar. He is mostly known for having translated the New Testament into Albanian for the first time in the Gheg Albanian dialect in ...
, Naim bey Frashëri,
Andon Zako Çajupi Andon Zako Çajupi (27 March 186611 July 1930) was an Albanian lawyer, playwright, poet and rilindas. Biography He was born in the village of Sheper, Upper Zagoria, Albania, then Ottoman Empire, on 27 March 1866. Çajupi's father, Harito Zak ...
, Asdreni, Hilë Mosi, and
Ndre Mjeda Ndre Mjeda (20 November 18661 August 1937) was an Albanian philologist, poet, priest, rilindas, translator and writer of the Albanian Renaissance. He was a member of the Mjeda family. He was influenced by the Jesuit writer Anton Xanoni and t ...
devoted their works of prose and poetry to Father Tomor. As an example,
Naim Frashëri Naim bey Frashëri, more commonly Naim Frashëri (; ; 25 May 184620 October 1900), was an Albanian historian, journalist, poet, rilindas and translator who was proclaimed as the national poet of Albania. He is regarded as the pioneer of modern ...
wrote the following poem in his 1890 poetry book ''Luletë e verësë'' ("Summer Flowers"):Frashëri, Naim. ''Luletë e Verës''. Bucharest: Dituri, 1890.
''Abas Aliu zu’ Tomorë,''
''Erdhi afër nesh,''
'' Shqipëria s’mbet e gjorë,''
''Se Zoti e desh.''
Abbas Ali took over Tomorr,
He came to live with us,
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
was no longer afflicted
For God came to love it.


Legend

In Albanian folklore, Mount Tomorr is considered the home of the deities. Morover, it is anthropomorphized and considered a deity itself, envisioned in the legendary figure of Baba Tomor, an old giant with a long flowing white beard and four female eagles hovering above him and perching on his snow-covered slopes. According to German folklorist Maximilian Lambertz, Baba Tomor is the remnant of an Illyrian deity.


See also

*
Tomorr National Park The Tomorr Mountain National Park ( sq, Parku Kombëtar "Mali i Tomorrit") is a national park founded in 1956 that lies in southern Albania, nestled in the central and higher portions of the Tomorr massif, spanning an area of since 2012, and ex ...
* Tomornitsa *
Geography of Albania Albania is a small country in Southern, Southeastern Europe and Western Balkans strategically positioned on the Adriatic and Ionian Sea inside the Mediterranean Sea, with a coastline of about . It is bounded by Montenegro to the northwest, Koso ...
*
Mountains of Albania With an average elevation of above sea level, Albania is one of the most mountainous countries in the world. It has a mountainous terrain that covers more than 70% of its total territory. There are many peaks reaching heights of more than . Alban ...


Sources


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Authority control Mountains of Albania Two-thousanders of Albania Geography of Berat County Tourist attractions in Berat County