Arabati Baba Teke

The Arabati Baba tekke in Tetovo was founded in the sixteenth century and largely built in the eighteenth by Abdurrahman Pasha, and it is among the most complete Bektashi complexes left in the Balkans: a walled compound of low buildings around gardens, with the türbe holding the founders' tombs, a guest house, a dining hall and a fountain. Bektashism is a Sufi order with a distinct practice, and the complex has had a contested recent history.

Background

The tekke is an Ottoman-era foundation. Its first buildings went up in 1538 around the türbe of the dervish Sersem Ali Baba. A tower on the grounds has two explanations. The monks hold that it was the final residence of Roxalana, a high-ranking Albanian who died there of tuberculosis. A more widely held view is that it belonged to the monastery's defences, set up in the 16th century. The complex also appears on the municipal coat of arms of Tetovo.

Source: Wikipedia, "Arabati Baba Teḱe"

Highlights

• The turbe - the domed tomb holding the founders' burials.
• The walled compound - the low buildings and gardens of the complex.
• The Bektashi tradition - the Sufi order the lodge belongs to.
• The eighteenth-century building - the main construction phase under Abdurrahman Pasha.

When to go

April to October is most comfortable. The complex keeps daytime hours. Access to some buildings may be restricted.

Before you go

Ownership and use of the complex have been disputed in recent decades and access to parts of it varies. There is limited interpretation. Dress and behaviour should be respectful.

Nearby

The Painted Mosque is nearby, and Popova Sapka is above.

Key facts