Today, on June 15, 2021, the Bektashi World Leader, His Grace, Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj, took part in the pilgrimage to the Bubës-Përmet tekke, on the occasion of the 181st anniversary of the founding of the shrine of Father Ali.
After greeting and thanking all those Bektashi believers of Përmet, who had filled the courtyard of the tekke, thus enriching even more the Bektashi order, with the most valuable features, the World Leader expressed a deep gratitude to the Zaimaj family, to those descendants of father Ali, who gave life and spirit to the religious heritage of this tekke.
SPEECH OF THE WORLD BEKTASHI GRANDFATHER, HIS HOLINESS, HAXHI DEDE EDMOND BRAHIMAJ:
“Dear Bektashi believers of Bubës and all of Përmet!
Dear members of the Zaimi family, worthy successors of the faith of Haxhi Bektash Veliu!
Dear guests!
In the capacity of Bektashi World Leader, I wish and bless you all: May there be love in your hearts! May the Exalted Lord and the spirit of our dervishes and fathers help you in your spiritual and human journey!
A year ago, when due to the global pandemic I did not have the opportunity to meet with you, today I think we all feel different. We have left behind very difficult days and months, we have fought day and night with a serious physical illness, feeling pain for all those who do not have among us today.
But the hard time we went through, despite the losses, tested us, the believers in general, and the Bektashis in particular, in caring for one another, for sister and wife, for brother and father. The care, the dedication, the sacrifices that we narrated in this year of the pandemic, highlighted once again the emblematic Bektashi phenomenon that Hak’s brotherhood and the biological one, have been and will remain inseparable in the lives of the ages.
Sisters and brothers!
Years have passed since the tomb of father Ali was rebuilt in this blessed place. In our memory, but also in the history of the Bektashi order, the memory of the day we inaugurated this cult object will remain indelible. It will remain so, because it was the saint himself, uncle Reshat Bardhi who came here and who made the light and memory of father Ali flood. With the blessing of dede Reshati, the tomb here in Bubes will remain magnificent, like hundreds of tombs and tekkes in Përmet, Albania, Kosovo, Western Macedonia and as far away as America. It is in our honor to preserve these tombs and tekkes, to add them, to take care of dervishes and fathers, to appreciate them as a companion in our journey.
There is no doubt that in the ranks of these devout believers stand the proud Zaimaj brothers, who every day more and more beautify this place and who make it possible for the tekke to keep its doors open at all times, regardless the day set for the pilgrimage. We can also not forget the contribution of mother Sanija, of this compassionate and kind mother, who kept alive the faith in God, in the years of the previous regime, to pass on that magnificent today, to boys, girls, grandchildren and granddaughters so wise.
May the Exalted God increase and prosper the whole Zaimaj family!
God bless you all!
Amin! “
THE SHRINE OF FATHER ALI
Father Ali’s tomb is located in the village of Beqaraj (Zaimllarë), Ballaban Administrative Unit, Këlcyrë Municipality. It is perched on a dominant hill of the area, where on the horizon, to the northeast, appears Tomorri. The territory where it is located, with the border villages of Berat, Skrapar and Tepelena. Its founder, around 1840, is father Ali, who completed his schooling in Saudi Arabia. When he came, he dressed as a dervish in the tekke of Kostan in Tepelena. After the tragic events in his family he got married. One of the boys, when he grew up, wore a dervish. He worked diligently for Bektashism. It left traces in the whole area and also influenced the erection of the Suka tekke. Father Aliu is the ancestor of this neighborhood and a saint. This tomb has been destroyed three times. Originally built by the Greeks in 1914, it was rebuilt in 1917. In 1940, it was demolished by the invaders and rebuilt in 1945. With the banning of the religion in 1967, it was destroyed from the foundations. It was rebuilt after the 1990s from scratch, with another vision, accompanied by complex architectural buildings and magnificent surroundings, by the Zaimaj brothers (Construction Company) creating a beautiful ensemble around, taking on the appearance of the tekke with the beautiful tomb . In this way, today it has become a place of pilgrimage for the entire area of Përmet, Skrapar, Berat and Tepelena districts. It is surrounded by an area of 3000 m2 with an evergreen, spruce, ornamental trees and fruit trees. The tomb was rebuild on the old ruins, dominates in the center of this complex. It is a dome type with a black stone wall, carved with regular lines, has a symbol of Bektashi taxh with an entrance balcony. Around the tomb, in the distance, two – three room service apartments with respective facilities have been carefully built. Drinking water is also provided. This interesting and rare complex has a single entrance to the large traditional portico with traditional area stone, carved. Thanks to the Zaimi brothers, it is maintained as a holy place where the annual pilgrimage takes place.