Category:Albania

From 4 Enoch: : The Online Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism, and Christian and Islamic Origins
Jump to navigation Jump to search


Albania / Shqipëria is a country in Southern Europe.


Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Albania

Christianity is attested in Albania since the end of the 1st century CE.

Islam gradually replaced Christianity as the majority religion, when Albania was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, from the 15th century to the 19th century.

Small groups of Jews have settled in Albania since the 7th century. Albania, which before WW2 had an estimated population of 200 Jews, during the Holocaust became a safe haven for several hundred Jewish refugees from other countries, under the protection of the local population.

After WW2 the Communist regime persecuted all religious communities, from 1967 to 1991 declaring Albania an Atheist state. With the collapse of the regime, religious activities have resumed.

Contemporary times

Today, the majority of religious Albanians are either Muslims (mainly Sunni and Bektashi) or Christians (mainly Roman Catholics and Orthodox). Only a few hundred Jews reside in Tirana, Albania.

The new Albanian constitution grants full freedom to all religious communities.

External links