![A view of the Tirana Namazgah Mosque, in Albania, the largest mosque in the Balkans, which was built by Turkiye on 10 October 2024 [@gundemedairhs/X]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Untitled-design-1-3.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Tirana, Albania, today to inaugurate the Namazgah Mosque, the largest in the Balkans. Built in Ottoman style with four 35-metre minarets, construction of the mosque began in 2015. The complex includes a cultural centre, library, exhibition hall, conference room, “museum of coexistence” and a Qur’an school.
Erdogan’s visit comes amid reports of controversy over Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s plan to establish a sovereign Bektashi state, which has faced criticism from Turkish Bektashi leaders. During his stay, Erdogan is expected to meet his Albanian counterpart Bajram Begaj and Prime Minister Rama. He will also meet Edmond Brahimaj, known as Baba Mondi, the global leader of the Bektashi sect, a prominent Sufi order known for its Shia orientation.
Arnavutluk sokakları, Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan'ın ziyareti öncesi bayraklarla donatıldı.
💢 Erdoğan, yapımı Türkiye tarafından üstlenilen Balkanlar'ın en büyük camisi konumundaki Tiran Namazgah Camisi'nin açılışını yapacak.
💢 Cumhurbaşkanı, Arnavutluk'tan Sırbistan'ın başkenti… pic.twitter.com/1fC92BPvqW
— gdh (@gundemedairhs) October 10, 2024
There has been some uncertainty over the appointment of the mosque’s leadership, with Turkish Imam Enes Bastur claiming that he had been assigned by Turkiye’s Directorate of Religious Affairs to lead the Namazgah Mosque. However, the Albanian Muslim Community has not confirmed the appointment.
Following the visit to Tirana, Erdogan will travel to Serbia to meet President Aleksandar Vucic tomorrow. This comes after Ankara’s renewed diplomatic push in the region, which began with Erdogan’s landmark visit to Belgrade in 2017.
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