Albania is a country that has been influenced by many civilizations throughout history and has witnessed various cultural and religious interactions due to its strategic location. In this context, Albania encountered Islam at an early stage, and this faith has become a significant part of the Albanian identity. The initial contact of Albania with Islam occurred with the expansion of the Ottoman Empire toward the Balkans. Entering under Ottoman rule in the late 14th century, Albania became a region where Islam began to spread. In this process, the integration of urban centers into Ottoman administrative and commercial life, along with the presence of Muslim merchants and soldiers, played a significant role. Another influential factor in the rooting of Islam in Albania was the disputes between various Christian sects in some regions and the weakening of the church’s authority over the populace. Due to these developments, the influence of Islam in Albanian society gradually increased, and the spread of Islam among the people accelerated. Particularly in the governance of the state and the regulation of social life, the role of Islam became distinctly evident. Mosques, madrasahs, and other religious structures were constructed, integrating Islamic culture into Albania. As a result, under Ottoman rule, the Albanians experienced significant religious transformations, and Islam became a prominent social and cultural force in the country. Through mosques, madrasahs, and charitable foundations, religious education spread widely, and Islamic culture influenced various areas, from architecture and literature to traditions and customs.
At the beginning of the 20th century, as the influence of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans diminished, Albania declared its independence in 1912 and adopted a secular state model. The Muslim Albanians, however, continued their allegiance to the Shaykh al-Islam for a while. In 1923, during the First Islamic Congress, Albanian Muslims declared their independence from the Caliphate and the Shaykh al-Islam and established their own religious organization, maintaining the religious vitality inherited from the Ottoman period. However, the communist regime that began in 1945 severely restricted religious activities, and in 1967, Albania was officially declared the first atheist state in the world. During this period, mosques and other religious structures were demolished or repurposed for other uses, religious practices were banned, and religious beliefs were suppressed. This harsh policy of atheism led to a substantial disruption of religious life in Albania.
With the collapse of the communist regime in 1990, religious freedoms were reestablished in Albania. The first religious activities of this new era of religious freedom included the first Friday prayer held at the Lead Mosque in Shkodra on November 16, 1990, followed by the reopening of the Ethem Bey Mosque in Tirana for worship. Subsequently, efforts were made to revive religious life, which had been nearly erased during the communist era. However, due to the prolonged period of prohibitions, a gap emerged in religious knowledge and practices. This situation opened the door for various Islamic movements to enter the country, leading to some subsequent disputes and controversies.
Today, Albania is a country where the majority of the population is Muslim. However, this Muslim identity is generally intertwined with a secular lifestyle characterized by strong cultural and traditional ties. Alongside Sunni Islam, other Sufi traditions such as Bektashism also hold a significant place in the country. Among other religious groups are Catholic and Orthodox Christians, while there is also a notable number of secular and atheist individuals. According to the 2023 census, Albania is home to 1.1 million Muslims (45.86%), 201,000 Catholics, 173,000 Orthodox Christians, and minorities adhering to other faiths.
The sole official representative of Muslims in Albania is the Presidency of the Albanian Muslim Community (AMC). Structurally, the AMC operates as a religious institution in the form of a non-governmental organization. However, due to its affiliation with the State Committee on Cults, which is under the Prime Ministry, it indirectly functions as a state-related entity. The institution is responsible for regulating the religious affairs of Muslims in the country, managing mosques, providing religious education, and representing the Muslim community. However, since March 2014, the AMC has been administered by individuals associated with FETO, which has hindered the institution’s effectiveness in fulfilling its mission.
In Albania, those striving to operate effectively in the name of Islam are primarily non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Various NGOs conduct youth programs, organize religious awareness activities, coordinate charitable works, and build mosques in areas of need using financial resources obtained from Islamic countries. While some of these NGOs focus primarily on social assistance, others concentrate on cultural and educational activities. However, the educational programs conducted by these NGOs generally consist of widespread religious education offered in mosques. Official religious education, on the other hand, is provided exclusively through imamkhatib schools affiliated with the AMC and Bedër University.
One of the significant organizations operating in the Islamic sphere in Albania is the Religious Affairs Counselor’s Office at the Embassy of the Republic of Türkiye in Tirana, which represents the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Türkiye and the Turkish Diyanet Foundation. In recent years, the services provided by the Counselor’s Office have intensified and continue in various areas. Some of these activities include the construction and restoration of mosques under the sister city project, the translation, publication, and distribution of religious books, and religious awareness programs. Additionally, similar to other organizations, the Counselor’s Office engages in activities such as providing student scholarships, distributing Ramadan food packages, organizing iftar programs, distributing sacrificial meat, providing financial and in-kind aid to families in need, supporting orphan sponsorship projects, offering basic religious education courses for children, and holding discussion programs for youth and adults. Programs are also held on religious days and nights. One of the significant activities is holding periodic meetings with Islamic NGOs to continue negotiations for potential collaborations. Consequently, the contributions of the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Türkiye and the Turkish Diyanet Foundation to the religious life of Albania through the Religious Affairs Counselor’s Office in Tirana are not limited to mosque and educational support; they also extend to activities that foster the strengthening of spiritual ties between the two countries.
During the communist regime, most of the mosques built during the Ottoman period were destroyed, making the restoration of existing historical mosques and the construction of new ones in areas of need some of the most crucial religious services in Albania. Very few mosques from the Ottoman era remain in Albania. These include four mosques in the city of Berat, as well as one mosque each in Tirana, Elbasan, Shkodra, Korçë, Durrës, Vlora, Gjirokastër, Kruja, and Peshkopi. Many of these historical mosques, which had been virtually abandoned and left to decay, have been restored by Türkiye, while a small number of remaining mosques are still awaiting restoration. The most recent and significant mosque constructed in the new era is the Tirana Namazgah Mosque, built with contributions from the Presidency of Religious Affairs of Türkiye and the Turkish Diyanet Foundation. Currently, it is the largest mosque in both the Balkans and Albania. With its striking architecture and prime location, it has become one of the most iconic landmarks of the capital city, Tirana.
Albania holds a significant position in the Balkans with its historical ties, rich cultural diversity, and longstanding relationship with Islam. The religious heritage that has survived from the Ottoman era to the present has particularly flourished in the postcommunist period, forming the foundation of today’s vibrant religious life. Thus, in Albania, Islam continues to exist as a faith system that carries the traces of the past while looking to the future with hope.
