Albania, Vlorë, Bektashi Temple on the Hill of Kuzum Baba

Albania Bektashi are Muslim, but some of their practices resemble Christian ones. Four major religious groups in Albania are usually identified: Catholic and Orthodox Chris­tians, Sunni Muslims, and Bek­tashis.
Depending on the sources you read, you will find very different stories about Bektashi origins and identity. The simplest explanation is that they follow a distinctive branch of Shi’a Islam, and they claim as their founder the 13th-century saint and mystic Haji Bektash Veli. His followers developed an Islamic Sufi order, with dervishes living in houses or lodges known as tekkes, each headed by a superior, a baba.