TEKKÉ OF MELAN

This monastery-like Sufi place of worship (Teqja e Melanit) is an important center of Bektashism in Albania. Built around 1800 on the ruins of an ancient hilltop fortress, it offers beautiful views over the Drino valley. The complex includes a prayer hall, mausoleums, dormitories, etc. Damaged during the atheist campaign of 1967, it has been home to a small community of dervishes since 1991. On major feast days (Ashura, Norouz...), the region's faithful come here to picnic in the shade of the poplar trees.