About us

The Union of Kosovo Tarikats (BTK) is the umbrella organisation that represents the dervishes and their tarikats, the Sufi orders.

The BTK is the second largest religious community in the country and brings together the tarikats (communities of dervishes) in Kosovo and in the diaspora. Eight tarikats exist in Kosovo today: Kaderi, Rifai, Saadi, Shazeli, Nakshibendi/Melami, Sinani, Bektashi and Halveti. Most of the tekkes of Kosovo are part of the present-day organisation of the BTK.

The BTK is built on a long tradition of cultivating pure faith, building religious awareness, serving the Creator and serving the nation and the homeland.

God guides those who follow His pleasure to the Paths of Salvation (Peace), brings them out of darkness into light by His leave and will, and leads them to the Elevated Path (Sirat al-Mustaqim).
(Qur'an 5:16)

The Paths of Peace meet at the Gate of Peace (Bab al-Salam).

Beyond the Gate of Peace there is only one path, because it is made possible by the will (Irada) of the One God.

The emblem of the Union of Tarikats is the Gate of Peace (Bab al-Salam). It is reached by different paths (the different tarikats), which share advancement and elevation (the Aliyya Paths), always in peace.

God has made the earth a wide expanse for you, so that you may walk its broad paths.
(Qur'an 71:19–20)

… and follow the paths of your Lord with humility! …
(16:69)

Those who strive for Us, We shall surely guide them to Our paths. Truly, God is with those who do good!
(Qur'an 29:69)

The Union of Kosovo Tarikats, BTK, is the umbrella organisation that represents the dervishes and their tarikats. Eight tarikats exist in Kosovo today: Kaderi, Rifai, Saadi, Shazeli, Nakshibendi, Sinani, Bektashi and Halveti, together with some of their branches, such as the Melami. Most of the tekkes of Kosovo are part of the present-day organisation of the BTK.

Prizren is the traditional seat of the dervishes of the Balkans.

The historical, cultural and social heritage of the tarikats of Kosovo goes back half a millennium.

The dervishes and the tarikats were expelled from the Islamic Religious Community of Yugoslavia after the Second World War (1951). Since then the dervishes have been organised and independent.

The Union of Kosovo Tarikats was legally founded in 1974, after decades of confrontation with the communist state and with the leadership of the Islamic Religious Community of Yugoslavia, which was in the hands of the state services.

In the period after the war (1999) we worked on rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure, consolidating religious life and serving our community. We carried out the reconstruction with our own means, and we maintain as many religious buildings as the community is able and wishes to maintain.

The dervishes of Kosovo cultivate and interpret a peaceful and authentic Islam. The BTK is non-sectarian and accepts into its ranks Muslims of all religious currents, schools and interpretations that respect the creed of Islam (the Shahada) and take Peace (Islam) as their way of life.

The dervishes and their tarikats respect the foundations of religion and faith. The dervishes have always known how to distinguish religion from culture, and conscience from religious law. The spiritual development of a dervish is based on spiritual experience, which the many supplementary rituals of the tarikats generate and which quickens the ascent of the spiritual traveller (the salik).

The Union of Kosovo Tarikats (BTK) is the only religious community in Kosovo with its traditional seat in Kosovo, and one that has traditionally secured the pension and health insurance rights of its staff in Kosovo.

The tarikats of Kosovo are communities of believers with no paid staff; the work is carried out as service and voluntary contribution (sadaqa).

All the properties on which the religious buildings of the BTK stand are private properties, maintained by the community.

All religious services are free of charge.

The BTK is financed by its own community and is therefore independent of foreign agencies and of the concessions and conditions they impose.

The BTK has a rich and well-known cultural heritage; many of the tekkes (centres of spiritual education and guidance) are Monuments of Culture in Kosovo.

The BTK has a tradition of maintaining, protecting and preserving elements of culture such as rituals, ethnographic elements, dress, vocal and instrumental music, philosophical and mystical writings, dance, poetry, calligraphy, metaphorical and allegorical tales, and the accumulated wisdom of a life in peace.

• Preserving the cultural heritage of the tarikats.
• Cultivating the elements of identity of the community of dervishes.
• Working for reconciliation and the reduction of conflict through the preservation of cultural heritage.
• Affirming and maintaining the presence of the community of dervishes in society as an alternative to emigration.
• Presenting the cultural heritage.
• Preserving traditional diversity, harmony and the good faith of living together.
• Enriching the cultural and tourist offer, and with it promoting Kosovo in general.
• Presenting the spiritual values of the community of dervishes as part of the beauty and diversity of Kosovo, which we share in harmony with other spiritual realities.