Speaking during a ceremony held at the World Bektashi Headquarters in Tirana, Hajji Dede Baba Mondi said Sultan Nowruz Day offers an opportunity for reflection on the values that guide believers and highlighted the spiritual significance of the day, which commemorates the birth of Imam Ali and symbolizes renewal and hope.

“This day is an opportunity to reflect on the virtues that guide us, to strengthen our connection with God, and to cultivate love and respect for one another,” he said.

Brahimaj noted that this year’s celebration coincides with the 35th anniversary of the reopening of the Bektashi World Headquarters and the restoration of religious freedom for the order in Albania.

Describing it as a historic milestone, he said the anniversary reflects the resilience of the Bektashi community and the collective effort to preserve its spiritual identity and traditions after periods of hardship.

Quoting Hajji Bektash Veli, Baba Mondi underlined that compassion and care for others are central to the faith. “He who does not see himself in others does not see God within himself,” he said, emphasizing that love for others is a reflection of deep belief.

Sultan Nowruz marks the beginning of the new year in the Bektashi tradition and is widely celebrated across the Alevi world as a day of renewal, hope and spiritual rebirth.

In Albania, the holiday has been officially recognized as a national holiday since 1996, and remains the most important celebration for the Bektashi community, which is primarily concentrated in the south but present across the country.

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Sultan Nowruz  Day marks the beginning of the new year, according to the Bektashi sect, and coincides with the birthday of Imam Ali at the Kaaba.  On this day everything is revived, there is hope, a resurrection for all mankind. It is a new day when everyone is hoping for a better future.

In Albania the Day of Sultan Nowruz was declared a national holiday in 1996 and it is closely linked to the Bektashi Sufi order.

Nowruz  is considered a pan-Albanian holiday dear to all and central to religious harmony. For followers of the Sufi order, Nowruz is marked as the commemoration of the birth of Imam Ali, the fourth Islamic caliph, while for secular Albanians its celebration is linked to the beginning of spring.

Tirana, Albania is home of the Bektashi World Center.  The Bektashi Sect is largely located in the country’s south, while it has a considerable extension in the territory of the Republic of Albania. The Bektashis are also spread in Kosovo and North Macedonia, where, alongside the Sunnis, they constitute the Albanian population of Muslim faith.

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