THE HOLY DERVISHES OF ALBANIA

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 152, 29 June 1935, Page 25

THE HOLY DERVISHES OF ALBANIA

We were sitting in the Cafe Skander- others, was bearded, beg in Kruja—a little town of Albania, In turn they placed before us a lying at the foot of winter's snow, half- spoonful of pomegranate jelly, a cup way 'up the bleak and craggy moun- of Turkish coffee, and a glass of raki, tain on which in the fifteenth century the fiery white spirit distilled in the national hero, Skander Beg, for Albania from grapes. On hearing that twenty years held the Turks at bay, I was an English journalist, the Senior writes G. E. R. Gedye in the "Daily rose and made a speech of welcome. Telegraph." Europe seemed far away. Might my cherished pen, he concluded, "Come" said my Albanian friend, be inspired by the source of universal rousing himself, "let us call on the righteousness to write kindly of AlHoly Dervishes of the Bektashi on the bania and of its King—he motioned to way home. They will be proud to give an alarming coloured print of King a foreigner coffee and cigarettes and Zog—and to strengthen the traditional a glass of the best raki in all Albania." friendship of great England for little Visions of wild men of the Sudan, not Albania. conceivable in conjunction with hos- Tbiough an interpreter I made a suitpitable cigarettes and coffee, rose be- ab i e rep iy, we clinked glasses, and fore me. "Dervishes?" there was* much salaaming and bowing. "Yes, but not fanatics—anything far g y questioning I induced the softfrom it," my friend .smiled back. "The eye d young Dervish to tell me somebest and,gentlest,men of the Moham- thing oi their little-known creed. The medan world. The Bektashi are ob- Bektashi, he said, have no temples liged by their creed to rise and tend built with hands, and pray in no to the traveller at any .hour of the mOS q Ue . night, as by day." _ They preach a gospel of work, of "To the Infidel also?" "They know o f y w P£ d a S( a J contemplation of no Infidels. Followers of Mahomet on | d d d get prayers and priestly their own lines, they esteem equally § onial they ? e j ect They themmen of all religions, and ) those -of no selves % m the soi i ot their property, religion, who think finely , and live urchased with the gifts of past diswell. But you will see for yourself. £. . d h its produce with those Twenty minutes later our car. drew share . v ■iSiiiW lish country parlour, and sat on the it is their only temple, stiff chairs around the room. The My last picture of the Beklashi was head of the Bektashi, a sort of Moslem of seven kindly, gentle, smiling men, monastic order, sat beside me. He bearded, befezzed, and black gowned, was not more than 25, but, like the salaaming in. the light of lanterns.

Through an interpreter I made a suitable reply, we clinked glasses, and there was* much salaaming and bowing. By questioning I induced the softeyed young Dervish to tell me something of their little-known creed. The Bektashi, he said, have no temples built with hands, and pray in no mosque. , They preach a gospel of work, of good words, and contemplation of good deeds. Set prayers and priestly ceremonial they reject. They themselves till the soil of, their property, purchased with the gifts of past disciples, and share its produce with those who claim a share. Upstairs they showed me their simple living-rooms, warmed by a cheerful wood fire, with mattresses and cheap Oriental rugs on the floor, on which they live and sleep. Everything was spotlessly clean. On the top of four very rough wooden steps at the end of the room burned a light below three framed texts from the Koran. Here the Dervishes say a brief prayer on rising and before sleeping; it is their only temple. My last picture of the Beklashi was of seven kindly, gentle, smiling men, bearded, befezzed, and black gowned, | salaaming in the light of lanterns.