Albanian PM Edi Rama on Sunday announced plans to establish a sovereign microstate for the Shia Sufi Bektashi Order in Tirana. While welcomed by the order, the move has also been greeted with surprise and skepticism.

The Albanian government is planning to create a “sovereign state” for the Bektashi, a Sufi Muslim order, modeled after the Vatican, occupying several hectares in the capital city of Tirana.

By bne IntelliNews Albania is planning to create a sovereign microstate for the Bektashi Order, a Sufi Muslim sect, within its capital Tirana, Prime Minister Edi Rama confirmed in a speech to the UN General Assembly on September 22.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced plans to transform the Tirana-based Bektashi Muslims into a sovereign state.

The tiny Vatican-like enclave within Albania’s capital Tirana will serve as the political home for Bektashi Muslims – the fourth largest religious community in Albania after Sunni Muslims, Orthodox Ch

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced plans to create a Muslim state in Tirana, modelled after the Vatican. According to reports by the "New York Times," the "Islamic Vatican" aims to promote religious tolerance and be based on the Bektashi brotherhood,