The Teqe of Baba Isuf ( sq, Teqeja e Baba Isufit) or Teqe of Bllaca ( sq, Teqeja e Bllacës) is a Bektashi tekke in the village of Bllacë, Dibër. It was founded in the late nineteenth century by Baba Isuf (also known as Baba Jusuf or Baba Sufa). The tekke has historically been an important centre of learning, known for its patriotic contributions in educating people in the Albanian language during late 19th and early 20th centuries. The tekke's feast day is the 10th of June.

History

Baba Sufa, who hailed from the Albanian Tasha family of Bllacë, was connected with a tekke in

Tetova Tetovo ( mk, Тетово, , sq, Tetovë/Tetova) is a city in the northwestern part of North Macedonia, built on the foothills of Šar Mountain and divided by the Pena (river), Pena River. The municipality of Tetovo covers an area of at above ...

along with his father, Fejza Bulqiza. He opened the first meytep (elementary religious school) in Bllacë during the mid-1830's, but due to the 1826 Ottoman ban on the

Bektashi Order 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 ...

, it was soon destroyed, and was not rebuilt until Baba Sufa's son, Baba Isuf (also called Baba Sufa or Baba Jusuf), founded the teqe in 1893. The tekke was notorious for educating people in the Albanian alphabet during this period, teaching local

Albanians The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...

how to read and write in their native language, and distributing books that came from Manastir. Under Baba Isuf, regular meetings were held promoting the liberation and independence of Albania from the Ottoman Empire, and participants were delegated certain tasks to further this cause as well as to further education in the Albanian language via book distribution. In particular, the works of

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 ...

were distributed from this tekke. Baba Isuf was crucial in teaching the Albanian language in the Dibra region and strongly contributed to the Albanian National Awakening, even opening up an Albanian school in 1908. He was persecuted by Ottoman and

Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also

* * * Old Serbian (disambiguat ...

authorities for his efforts, and died in 1915. Jashar Zeneli, an important figure of the tekke during this period, invited the kaymakam of Dibra to visit and gifted him a traditional Dibran Albanian costume. The kaymakam was won over and permitted the tekke to continue teaching in Albanian so long as other Ottoman authorities did not find out. Upon the arrival of

Turgut Pasha Shevket Turgut Pasha ( tr, Şevket Turgut Paşa; 1857–1924) was an Ottoman army general with the rank of ''mirliva'' (major general), who also held the governmental title of ''pasha'' (lord). He went to the Prussian military school. Biography ...

and his army in 1910, the ban on the teaching of Albanian was enforced yet again. After the

declaration of independence of Albania The Albanian Declaration of Independence ( Albanian: ''Deklarata e Pavarësisë'') was the declaration of independence of Albania from the Ottoman Empire. Independent Albania was proclaimed in Vlorë on 28 November 1912. Six days later the Assem ...

was declared in 1912, Albanians were openly educated in their native tongue, with members of the tekke of Bllaca such as Seit Tasha becoming prominent local educating figures. The tekke was destroyed during the First World War and was reconstructed in the early 1920's by Baba Isuf's successor, Baba Rushit Tollja of Strikçan, who was also appointed to the

Teqe of Martanesh The Tekke of Martanesh () or Peshku Teqe ''(Teqeja e Peshkut)'' is a Cultural Monument of Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeast ...

in 1924. Baba Rushit served both tekkes simultaneously but preferred to reside in Bllaca. Later in the 1920's, the tekke was administered by Sejdi Baba. The tekke was yet again destroyed in 1967 during the Communist period of Albania under the atheist dictatorship of

Enver Hoxha Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist politician who was the authoritarian ruler of Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania from 1941 unt ...

and reopened in 1995 under Baba Ismail Jangulli. It is now under Baba Halil Curri.

List of leaders

# Baba Isuf (founder, 1893) # Baba Rushit Tollja (1920's) # Sejdi Baba (1920's) # Baba Zejnel of Skrapari (1930) # Baba Ahmet (1938) # Baba Muharrem Metalla (1950-1954) # Baba Xhemal Rapush Dinollari (1954-1963) # Baba Ismail Jangulli (1995) # Baba Halil Curri (present)

References

{{Reflist Sufi tekkes in Albania Bektashi tekkes