The Legend of Ali Dost Dede of Gjirokaster

In ancient Gjirokaster, Sheikh Ali Dost Dede was a revered and respected individual.

One day his body was found, limp and lifeless and the population of the town believed that he had succumbed to the plague. Fearful of their lives and of suffering a similar fate, they took to the hills and villages nearby for a total of fourty days and fourty nights. Before leaving, they wrapped his body and left it in a cell, locked away from the world.

after succumbing to the plague, the whole population of the town that had come out in mourning, took him and accompanied his body into the hills of the surrounding countryside. They left his body, wrapped and blessed, in a cell for fourty days and fourty nights, as was the tradition at the time.

When they returned from their self-imposed temporary exile, a few curious townsfolk ventured towards his cell. There they noted that not only was his body pointing in the direction of Mecca, but that his body was still warm and fresh.

This was considered as a miracle and all of the populace of the province marvelled at what had happened. Some generous benefactors prepared the body for burial. But whilst the body was being ritualistically cleaned and prepared, they noticed the words “Ali Dost” (Ali the Friend) inscribed on his chest, directly into the flesh. As this was considered something of divine intervention, his body was interred within the courtyard of the Tekke Mosque as the townspeople prayed and chanted. His tomb became a place of pilgrimage for many years with reports that people came from far and wide, just to visit his place of rest.

Whilst this occurred in the 1600s, the Tekke Mosque survived in some form until 1967, Unfortunately it was then razed to the ground by communist authorities and all traces of the holy site and the tomb of the Saint, Ali Dost Dede were lost.