The Bektashi Tekke in Asproggeia, Farsala

The signs just outside Asproggeia (formerly “Ireni”), 28 km from Farsala and 17 km from Velestino (very close to the "border" of the regional units of Larissa and Magnesia), read “Tekke Monastery of Farsala.” Its old name was “Ireni Tekke,” locals call it the “Albanian Monastery,” and you may also find it listed as “Tekke of Durbali Sultan.” Whatever name you use, it is a deeply atmospheric place that reflects the mysticism of the Bektashi order, one of the most important Sufi brotherhoods—a tolerant and open-minded Muslim doctrine (or “sect”) that existed in the shadow of Shiites and Sunnis, the two dominant branches of Islam.

A monastery relay through time

The old Dervish monastery is set in an idyllic location, surrounded by plane trees, oaks, and cypresses. It consists of two main “complexes”: the funerary and the communal, separated by an open, stone-paved “square.” The exact founding date is unknown. Based on a document found in one of the two türbes (“mausoleums”), the first “Bubá” (or “Baba” or “Sheikh”), i.e., the “abbot” of the monastery, Durbali Sultan, lived here between 1492–1534 AD or 1480–1522 AD, which places the founding likely in the late 15^th century. The Tekke remained “active” until late 1972 – early 1973, when the last “Bubá” passed away. Nevertheless, the faithful still visit to this day, keeping the funerary complex clean and well-maintained.

On the walls of the türbes, embedded architectural elements and inscriptions have been found that suggest the site once housed, around 900–1000 AD, a Byzantine monastery (or church) dedicated to Saint Irene or Saint George. Some researchers believe that it was originally an Orthodox monastery of Saint Irene, later converted into a Catholic monastery of Saint George (we’ll meet Saint George again later).

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The two complexes

The two complexes are clearly defined and show different conditions—the funerary complex is in good shape, while the communal area unfortunately now consists only of ruins.

In the funerary complex, around 33 graves remain, with two stone-built türbes standing out, connected by a more recent cement structure. The two mausoleums, especially the older (western) one, have significant architectural value. Each türbe contains three graves, with two more in the connecting structure. Every grave is covered by a green cloth (green being Islam’s sacred color) bearing Quranic verses in Albanian and Greek. Particularly striking is the presence of a Christian chapel with icons of saints on the exterior wall of the older türbe.

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The communal complex, though in ruins, still gives visitors a fairly clear picture of what the Tekke looked like at its peak. Remains of several structures are visible, including the two-story “Hegoumenio” (Abbot’s residence), the kitchen, the guesthouse, and the Dervishes’ cells. Sadly, many of these buildings were still standing just a few decades ago.

May Day and “Hidrellez” or “Ederlezi”

Every year on May Day, large crowds gather around the Tekke’s grounds—centered around a beautiful old fountain—to celebrate the arrival of spring with food, dancing, and music. Most attendees are of Albanian descent, many from nearby areas, but some come from much farther away—even from Albania itself, if only for this one day!

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For Muslim participants, this celebration is a calendrical adaptation of one of Islam’s most important spring festivals, “Hidrellez”, traditionally celebrated on May 6 by the Gregorian calendar—or April 23 (St. George’s Day in the Christian calendar) by the Julian calendar. This celebration is inscribed on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage and is known in the Romani language as “Ederlezi” (remember the beautiful song from Emir Kusturica’s *Time of the Gypsies*?).

What exactly do Muslims celebrate on this day? The meeting of two prophets—guardians of earth and water—Hizir (seen as analogous to Saint George) and Ilyas (Prophet Elijah). From the combination of their names, *Hizir* and *Ilyas*, comes the name *Hidrellez*, the title of the festival.

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Intercultural monument

The result of this unique syncretism is the joint celebration of May Day by Christians and Muslims alike, next to the Bektashi Tekke, in a cross-cultural and interfaith atmosphere befitting such an extraordinary monument. After all, Sufism—of which the Bektashis are a prominent order—is considered the most tolerant and open-minded version of Islam, with some even placing it somewhere between Christianity and Islam.

The Bektashis, as a monastic order, were abolished in Turkey in 1925 under Kemal Atatürk, but continued to exist elsewhere, especially in the Western Balkans. They interpreted the Quran liberally, rejected polygamy, lived as quietists and recluses, had no mosques but only tekkes, did not fast during Ramadan, and welcomed both Muslims and Christians to their tekkes. Broadly speaking, they were pantheists, believed in reincarnation, and advocated religious tolerance.

This tolerance is best expressed in the words of the founder of another major Sufi order, the Mevlevis. In some of his most famous verses, the great mystic, jurist, philosopher, and poet of the 13^th century, Jalal ad-Din Rumi, also known as “Mevlana” (meaning “our master”), wrote:

“Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again come, come.”