KHALWATIYYAH IN KOSOVO AND MACEDONIA

The Ottoman State’s settlement in Rumelia began after I. Murat had conquered Edirne and Plovdiv. In this process, after the settlement activities new conquests were carried out. These activities were arranged in a systematic way. In conquered districts Ottomans’ treatment to Christians and Jews with justice and services of new institutions were been important factors for Ottomans’ quick settlement in Balkans. On the other hand, activities of the sufis who had come to the region before also effected regional public signifally on their acceptance of Islam as religion. Sufis’ immigration to region continued during the conquests of Ottoman State. Sheiks built tekkas at the crossroads, at the edges of water and in the uncrowded places. In these tekkas, in addition to religious ones, social and culturel activities were organized. Thanks to these tekkas domestic public optained a positive opinion about Muslims. In the course of time, activities of tariqats like Khalwatiyyah, Naqshbandiyyah, Mawlawiyyah, Qadiriyyah, Rifaiyyah, Sa‘diyyah, Bektashiyyah, Shadhiliyyah and Melamiyyah increased in Balkans. Verious branches of these tariqats built tekkas in many cities. Today, most of these cities are in the borderof Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia. Khalwatiyyah had been the most effective tariqat from the XVI century to the collapse of Ottoman State. Tekkas of Khalwatiyyah have taken an important part to introduce Islam and to spread the mystical culture in the region. Some of these tekkas have survived and have still been active. But many of them are destroyed or not active. Our research deals with the history of Khalwatiyyah in this region in the model of tekkas in Kosovo and Macedonia by giving short information about activities, effects, physical properties and current situations of them.