Arabati Baba Teḱe
Arabati Baba Tekke is an Ottoman-era tekke in Tetovo, North Macedonia. It was built in 1538 around the tomb of the dervish Sersem Ali Dede Baba. In 1799, a waqf funded by Recep Paşa established the current grounds.
Some people say the tower was the last home of Roxalana, an Albanian woman who died of tuberculosis there. A more common view is that the site was part of Tetovo’s 16th-century defense system. The tekke is a recognizable Tetovo landmark and appears on the city’s coat of arms.
In 2002, armed members of the Salafist group Islamic Community of Macedonia (ICM) invaded the tekke to try to turn it into a mosque, although it has never functioned as one. The Bektashi community of Macedonia sued the government, arguing that the 1990s restitution law should return the tekke to the Bektashi, not private citizens. The ICM claims to represent all Muslims in Macedonia and is one of two Sunni groups recognized by the government; the Bektashi are a separate Shi’i Muslim community.
The Bektashi group first sought recognition as a separate religious community in 1993, but the government has not recognized them. In March 2008 there were reports that ICM members had gained control of additional buildings on the grounds, intimidated visitors, and fired weapons.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 02:59 (CET).