Albania is set to create what could become the world’s smallest sovereign state, a microstate for the Bektashi Order, a Sufi Islamic sect, within its capital, Tirana.
The proposed state, known as the “Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order,” will span just 10 hectares, a quarter of the size of Vatican City, and will feature its own administration, passports, and borders.
Prime Minister Edi Rama revealed plans for the new state, emphasizing its role in promoting religious tolerance, a core value of Albania.
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“We should take care of this treasure, which is religious tolerance and which we should never take for granted,” Rama told The New York Times.
The Bektashi Order, a Shiite Sufi tradition with roots in 13th-century Turkey, moved its headquarters to Albania nearly a century ago after it was banned from Turkey by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Known for its progressive views, the Bektashi Order allows alcohol, permits women to dress freely, and imposes no strict lifestyle rules on its followers, a stark contrast to more conservative Islamic practices.
Dervish Baba Mondi, the current spiritual leader of the order, is expected to lead the new state. Baba Mondi, revered as “His Holiness Haji Dede Baba” by followers, expressed his hopes for international recognition of the microstate.
“We deserve a state,” he said. “We are the only ones in the world who tell the truth about Islam and don’t mix it up with politics.”
Historically, the Bektashis have faced persecution from various regimes—Christian, Muslim, and atheist—across the centuries.
However, their devotion to peace, love, and mutual respect has remained a cornerstone of their faith. Baba Mondi reiterated these values, stating in a 2018 interview that “being a Bektashi means being human.”
A team of experts is currently drafting legislation to define the sovereign status of the new state, which still requires the endorsement of Albania’s Socialist Party.
If successful, the Sovereign State of the Bektashi Order will serve as a symbol of Albania’s unique brand of Islamic tolerance and pluralism.