All major religions represented in Albania have their central sanctuaries in Tirana. Directly on Skanderbeg Square, there is an ancient mosque, where Muslims go to pray. Not far from there, after 1990, Orthodox and Catholic Christians built new cathedrals, as their original churches did not survive the communist era. The Bektashi order has its center on the outskirts of the city.
Ethem Bey Mosque (alb. Xhamia e Et’hem Beut) located on the eastern side of Skanderbeg Square is one of the few monuments of Tirana from the time of Ottoman rule. Its construction began in 1789 and ended 34 years later. It was closed during the reign of the dictator Enver Hoxha, but as one of the few religious buildings of its kind, it survived the campaign of violent atheism, during which most of the Albanian churches and mosques were razed to the ground. In January 1991, as a symbol of the fall of socialism, crowds of people with flags entered it. Since then, it serves its religious purpose.
Just a few meters from Tanners Bridge, the Great Mosque is under construction with the financial support of Turkey (Xhamia e Madhe), which will be one of the largest in South-Eastern Europe when completed with a capacity of 2500 seats.
Several churches served Catholics in Tirana even before the Second World War, but not a single one survived the communist rampage. The Cathedral of St. Paul‘s (Katedralja e Shën Palit) was built in 2002. In front of the church are statues of St. Paul and St. Mother Teresa, an ethnic Albanian born in Skopje, in present-day North Macedonia. The interior is surprisingly simple, the stained glass windows depicting Pope Francis, who visited Albania in 2014, are worth noting.
The Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ (Katedralja e Ringjalljes së Kristit) is the main sanctuary of the Orthodox throughout Albania, it stands among Skanderbeg Square and Rinia Park. It was opened in 2012 on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the restoration of the Albanian Orthodox Church. At first glance, the building impresses with its enormous dimensions; at 32 meters tall, it is said to be the third-largest Orthodox church in Europe. The adjacent belfry with 16 bells is almost 50 meters high.
The World Bektashi Centre (Qendra Mangara Bektashiane) is located in the northeastern suburbs of Tirana, somewhat outside the city center. It opened for business in 2015. In the Ottoman Empire, the Bektashi was a significant Sufi order that is still in existence today in some parts of the Balkans. The complex consists of a museum, a gift shop, a sanctuary, and the so-called tekke (alb. teqe, akin to a monastery). It’s a great place to familiarise yourself with this order, which you will most likely come across during your travels in Albania.
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