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Sufi (Dervish) Order of Bektashi as a Connection between Islam and Christianity in the Balkans

The Balkans have always been a place of confrontation between different cultures and religions because of its geographical location. In the Balkans Christianity was introduced from the time of apostle st. Paul and it spread between Illyrians ever since that time, while Islam started spreading after the Battle of Kosovo Field in 1389. It is possible that religious tolerance that the Ottoman empire had toward Christianity influenced forbearance and coexistence of this two religions. During the XVI. century in the south of the Balkans there appeared a new factor which in time developed into a connection between Islam and Christianity (Ortodox and Catholicism). It was the dervish order bektash (Bektaşi Tarikati) which was founded in XIII. century by Haci Bektash Veli (1209-1271) and which spread over Anatolia, Greece and Crete into Albania and after that across the Balkan area. The main feature of this order (Tariqat) is the fact that it was connected to Janissary units, who were professional soldiers taken as children from different nations subjugated to the Ottoman empire and they often brought Christian elements to their new faith. The most famous reformer of the Bektashi order was Ballum Sultan (originally from Hungary) who introduced a lot of Christian elements as part of the XVI. century reforms. From 1925. After the reforms of the Ottoman empire undertaken by Kemal Atatürk the centre of this order was placed in Tirana but their places of worship (tekije) were present also in Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Bulgaria and certain other Balkan countries. The Bektashi order is characterized by great tolerance in all aspects, the members of this order freely consume alcohol, do not observe the ramadan fast and they allow women to be present at their ceremonies (Ziqr) which is unthinkable and strictly forbidden in other Sufi orders. Members of Bektashi order are the only dervishes that practise celibacy and they have convents. As a people of liberal views they were from their very origin the link between the intelectual and lower classes of Ottoman society and in the same time between Islam (Sunni, Shia, Sufi) and Christianity.

Dervish; Bektashi; Islam; Christianity; Balkans

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