[ALBSA-Info] Fwd: [balkans] Historic tekke in Macedonia reported torched

[Agron Alibali]

 butando wrote:From butando Sat Aug 17 03:22:23 2002
To: balkans at yahoogroups.com
From: "butando" 
Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2002 10:22:23 -0000
Subject: [balkans] Historic tekke in Macedonia reported torched

FROM: H-Turk

From: Andras Riedlmayer <riedlmay at f...>
Subject:      H-TURK: Historic tekke in Macedonia reported torched 
[Andras Riedlmayer]

A historic dervish lodge (tekke) in the Macedonian town of Tetovo
(Kalkandelen) was reportedly torched Thursday night by armed 
attackers. The news was reported by the Belgrade-based Beta news agency, which
wrote that Macedonian police had provided no details about the 
attackers or their motives.  There has been tension and sporadic violence in the area in advance of next month's parliamentary elections.

The dervish lodge complex, known as the Arabati (Harabati) Baba Tekke,
was founded in 1538 at the grave of the Bektashi dervish Sersem Ali 
Baba. The present buildings of the tekke date from the 18th century.  In 
1945,the historic tekke was closed down and the dervish order was 
suppressed by Tito's Communist regime.  In later years, various parts of the 
complex were turned into a museum, a hotel, and a restaurant.  Following the 
fall of Communism, in 1993 the dervishes were allowed to reclaim a building
in the garden of the complex for their use.

In the spring and summer of 2001, fighting erupted in the Tetovo 
region between rebels of the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army (UCK) 
and Macedonian government forces and there were fears that the historic 
tekke would be caught in the cross-fire.  However it was not seriously 
damaged. http://www.international.icomos.org/risk/2001/mace2001.htm

In the spring of 2002, the US Agency for International Development 
(USAID)provided a modest grant for restoration of the Arabati tekke.
http://www.usaid.gov/hum_response/oti/country/macedon/rpt0302.html

Now, if Beta's report is true, the historic tekke's luck may have 
finally run out ... like that of a number of ancient mosques in 
Bitola/Monastir, Prilep, Veles and other towns in Macedonia, destroyed or damaged in arson attacks last summer.
http://www.keston.org/011213MA.htm
http://www.rferl.org/nca/features/2001/08/22082001115007.asp

The Balkan wars of the 1990s may have subsided, but Europe's native
Islamic architectural heritage is still endangered.  If anyone has
further information about the fate of the Arabati tekke, or concerning
other Ottoman-era architectural heritage in Macedonia, please post it
to the list.

For photos showing the Arabati tekke in Tetovo in more peaceful days, 
see
http://www.gov.mk/kultura/arabati.htm
http://www.culture.org.mk/eTE3.HTM

There is also a news photo of Macedonian Defense Minister Vlado 
Buckovski paying a call on Baba Tahir Emini, spiritual leader of the Arabati 
tekke in Tetovo, in October 2001:
http://www.mia.com.mk/FotoTanAM/Tetovo,Macedonia,Buckovski-the%
2520visit%2520of%2520Tetovo%2520Fortress-Kale
(73).jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mia.com.mk/ang
/Tanusevci/foto.asp&h=120&w=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Darabati%26svnum%
3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8

Andras Riedlmayer


From: Gingeras Ryan <nordiques41 at yahoo.com>


Here's a recent article on the Arabati Baba Tekke in
Tetovo by Radio Free Europe.


http://www.rferl.org/balkan-report/


Sincerely,
Ryan Gingeras
University of Toronto


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