Ahmet Myftar Dede (also known as Ahmet Myftari or Ahmet Myftar Ahmataj, 1916–1980) was the 6th

Dedebaba Bektashi Dedebabate is the religious leadership of Bektashi Islam. The term ''Dedebaba'' comes from Turkish and means "The grandfather.'" The dedebabas () are the spiritual and religious leaders of the Bektashi community. Bektashis do not conside ...

(or Kryegjysh) of the

Bektashi Order Bektashism (, ) is a Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The Bektashi co ...

in Islamic Sufi mysticism.Ahmed Myftar Dede Baba
(Kryegjyshata Botërore Bektashiane) He was the final dedebaba to have served during the

People's Socialist Republic of Albania The People's Socialist Republic of Albania, () was the Marxist-Leninist state that existed in Albania from 10 January 1946 to the 29 April 1991. Originally founded as the People's Republic of Albania from 1946 to 1976, it was governed by the P ...

Biography

Early years

Ahmet Myftar was born in

Brataj Brataj is a village and a former municipality in the Vlorë County, southwestern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Selenicë. The population at the 2011 census was 2,849. The municipal unit co ...

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

, about 40 km southeast of Vlora. From in 1924 to 1929, he attended school in Vlora. In 1937, he was stationed in the Dibra region as part of his military service. There, at the tekke of Bllaca, he became a dervish under Baba Zenel, residing in Bllaca until 1939. He then served in

Elbasan Elbasan ( , ; sq-definite, Elbasani, ) is the fourth most populous city of Albania and seat of Elbasan County and Elbasan Municipality. It lies to the north of the river Shkumbin between the Skanderbeg Mountains and the Myzeqe Plain in centr ...

and Turan, near Tepelena.

World War II

Ahmet Myftar returned to Vlora in 1942 and wanted to build a new tekke in Brataj, the village where he was born. However,

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

completely halted his plans, and from 1942 to May 1944, he was a pro-Communist fighter. He was subsequently interned (i.e., imprisoned in a forced labor camp) in

Durrës Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the List of cities and towns in Albania#List, second most populous city of the Albania, Republic of Albania and county seat, seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is one of Albania's oldest ...

. After the war, He served as a baba in Vlora from October 1945 to 1948 at the tekke of Kusum Baba.

Appointment as Dedebaba

After the murder-suicide of

Abaz Hilmi Abbas Hilmi (''Abaz Hilmi Dede''; 13 March 1887 – 18 March 1947) was the 5th Dedebaba (or Kryegjysh) of the Bektashi Order.

in March 1948, Ahmet Myftar was appointed

of the

on 8 June 1948 by the Communist regime, essentially serving as a puppet for the government. In 1958, he was no longer allowed to serve as Dedebaba as the Communist government continued to remove religion from public Albanian life.

Final years

From around 1958 to 1967, he was

interned Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without Criminal charge, charges or Indictment, intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects ...

in Drizar, Mallakastra together with

Reshat Bardhi al-Hajj Dedebaba Reshat Bardhi (4 March 19352 April 2011) was Dedebaba of Bektashism from 1991 to 2011. Life Bardhi was born on 4 March 1935 in village of Lusën, in the region of the northern Albanian town of Kukës.Dedebaba Bektashi Dedebabate is the religious leadership of Bektashi Islam. The term ''Dedebaba'' comes from Turkish and means "The grandfather.'" The dedebabas () are the spiritual and religious leaders of the Bektashi community. Bektashis do not conside ...

of the Bektashi Order. Finally, the Bektashi Order was completely banned in 1967 under the dictatorship of

Enver Hoxha Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was the Secretary (titl ...

, forcing the retirement of Ahmet Myftar from public life. He spent his final years in Kruja and

Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...

under constant surveillance from the

Sigurimi The Directorate of State Security (, DSSh), commonly called the ''Sigurimi'', was the National security, state security, Intelligence (information gathering), intelligence and secret police service of the People's Socialist Republic of Albania. I ...

(the Albanian secret police), and died in 1980.

Tyrbe

His remains are currently buried in a tyrbe (mausoleum or holy grave) at the

World Headquarters of the Bektashi The World Headquarters of the Bektashi or Bektashi World Center (; often simply known in Albanian as the ) is the international headquarters of the Bektashi Order, a Sufi order. It is located on Dhimitër Kamarda Street at the eastern edge of ...

() in

, Albania.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Myftar, Ahmet 1916 births 1980 deaths Bektashi dedebabas Albanian Sufis People from Vlorë Albanian resistance members