Zall Tekke

Zall Tekke
Teqeja e Zallit
Taken from behind the tekke, with its green dome, in 2015
Location of the tekke in Albania
Religion
Affiliation	Sunni Islam
Sect	Sufism
Rite	Bektashi
Ecclesiastical or organisational status	Tekke
Status	Active
Location
Location	Gjirokastër
Country	Albania
Interactive map of Zall Tekke
Coordinates	40°04′02″N 20°08′57″E
Architecture
Type	Islamic architecture
Style	Ottoman
Completed	1780 CE
Dome	1
Cultural Monument of Albania
Official name	Zall Tekke

The Zall Tekke (Albanian: Teqeja e Zallit), also known as the Asim Baba Tekke (Turkish: Âsım Baba Tekkesi) is a Bektashi tekke in Gjirokastër, Albania. Completed in 1780 CE, the tekke was designated as a Cultural Monument of Albania.

History

Seyyid Muhammed Asim Baba of Üsküdar (Istanbul) founded the tekke in 1780. It is also known as the Teqeja e Zallit (Gravel Tekke) or as the "Tekke of Pebbles" due to its location at the side of a river bed that is usually dry.

The tekke also hosted a library with books and manuscripts in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and later also Albanian.

During the Balkan Wars and also during World War I, Greek soldiers were stationed at the tekke for approximately three years. During this time, the tekke did not have any babas and dervishes due to the wars. The baba and dervishes later returned, and the tekke was restored in 1916.

Clergy

The tekke was administered by the following babas.

Order	Name	Term begin	Term end	Years in office	Notes
1	Asim Baba	1780	1796	15–16 years
2	Hasan Baba Turku	1796	1798	1–2 years
3	Sulejman Baba	1798	1806	7–8 years	From Gjirokastra
4	Ali Baba Gega	1806	1830	23–24 years
5	Haxhi Jahja Baba	1830	1836	5–6 years	From Kruja
6	Ibrahim Baba Turku	1836	1846	9–10 years
7	Hysejn Baba Elbasani	1845	1861	15–16 years	From Elbasan
8	Ali Haqi Baba	1861	1907	45–46 years
9	Selim Ruhi Baba	1907	1944	36–37 years

See also

• Islam in Albania
• List of Religious Cultural Monuments of Albania