Fieldwork in Tirana. The Shared Shrine of Dervish Hatixhe.
Gianfranco Bria conducted fieldwork in Tirana, Albania, focusing on the shrine of Dervish Hatixhe, an eighteenth-century Sufi woman whose tomb remains one of the most meaningful examples of a shared religious space in contemporary Albania. Located in the dense urban fabric of Rruga Barrikadave, the teqe (Sufi lodge) of Hatixhe is frequented by Muslim, Catholic, and Orthodox devotees alike, who visit to light candles, touch the tomb, and seek blessings, healing, or protection.
Despite its discreet appearance, the site radiates a strong sensory and spiritual presence, where gestures, smells, and sounds interlace to create a collective experience of faith. Hatixhe’s shrine embodies Albania’s longstanding ethos of tolerance fetare (religious coexistence) where sainthood transcends confessional boundaries and becomes a shared expression of moral and cultural belonging.
For further insights see: Bria, Gianfranco. "Dervish Hatixhe’s Veneration in Contemporary Albania: Visual Representations, Devotional Practices and Sensory Experiences." Religions 16.2 (2025): 163; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16020163
