The World Bektashi Headquarters respectfully commemorates today, with honor and gratitude, 22 November – the Day of the Albanian Alphabet, one of the most important dates in our national history.
The decisions of the 1908 Congress of Manastir, which unified the Albanian alphabet, laid the foundations of national education and strengthened our spiritual, cultural, and national identity.
The Bektashi tradition, enlightened by the principles of knowledge, peace, and unity, has always supported the spread of education and the preservation of the Albanian language, considering it a sacred value and a treasure that unites the hearts of Albanians everywhere in the world.
Message from the World Leader of the Bektashi Order, Haxhi Dede Baba Edmond Brahimaj
“The alphabet of the Albanian language is one of the greatest victories of our people, a light that guides us and a bridge that connects us. Let us preserve it with love, protect it with dedication, and pass it on with pride to the coming generations.”
On this marked day, we bow with reverence before the martyrs of the Albanian language and before the distinguished figures of our culture who sacrificed, wrote, and worked to protect and strengthen our mother tongue. Alongside them, the Bektashi tradition has given dozens of prominent personalities who deeply influenced Albanian education and culture. Among them:
Naim Frashëri, Sami Frashëri, Abdyl Frashëri – national poets, ideologists of the Renaissance, translators, and inspirations of Albanian literature; especially Naim Frashëri, a key figure of the Bektashi spiritual world.
Dede Ahmeti, an important leader of the Bektashi community in the early 20th century, remembered for his contribution to:
Preserving and supporting Albanian education in the tekkes – where he opened educational spaces, promoted learning in Albanian, and embraced the ideals of the National Renaissance.
Spreading religious and moral writings in Albanian – translating and safeguarding Bektashi literature in the Albanian language.
Supporting the national cause – turning the tekke into a place of meetings and organization for national efforts.
Preserving the continuity of the Bektashi tradition during difficult periods.
Baba Ali Tomorri – writer, poet, researcher, author of religious and cultural works in Albanian.
Baba Rexheb Beqiri – scholar, theologian, author, and translator of Bektashi literature; a crucial contributor to preserving the Albanian language in the diaspora.
Baba Abdullah Vruho – one of the early Bektashi figures who supported Albanian education and writing in the 19th century.
Baba Alushi and Baba Selim Dede (Frashëri) – leaders of the Frashër Tekke, a historical center of the Albanian Renaissance and the cultivation of the Albanian language.
Baba Ibrahim Dalliu – poet, scholar, patriot, and teacher of the Albanian language.
Medi Frashëri – member of the Frashëri family, involved in national movements and the promotion of the Albanian language.
These clerics, scholars, and Bektashi patriots, together with the Renaissance figures and the martyrs of the Albanian language, form a golden chain that illuminated our nation. Their contribution to preserving, writing, and spreading the Albanian language remains a sacred heritage and a cornerstone of our national identity.
“Knowledge is a light that never fades; language is a path that never disappears.”
The World Bektashi Headquarters wishes all Albanians:
Happy Day of the Albanian Alphabet!
Let us continue to cherish our language as a precious gift and an eternal symbol of our national unity.