Tomorr[/caption]I've been quite a few times in Berat and this time I avoided taking photos, I was again on the wheel. Here is a gigapan photo, the most detailed one you could ever find. After Berat there is Polican, a small city famous for its ammunition factory, hence the nickname Ghost Town. We used to produce there Kalashnikov - Made In Albania... Polican is surrounded by nature, is quite small and very quiet. If you're driving with a small car, you should definitely park here because the road to the top of the mountain is very very very rocky. We managed to rent a Land Rover Defender for some 120$ to take us to the pilgrimage site on Saturday morning and then come back Sunday morning to take us to the top of the mountain (2,416M) and then back to Polican. We found the driver through a common friend so the price may not be the normal rate they charge for the exact service. However, it is impossible to find cheaper than that. They usually charge 90$ only for a round trip to the pilgrimage site (which is midway to the top).
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Tomorr[/caption]The pilgrimage is not actually done for Baba Tomor, it is done to honor Abbas ibn Ali, the son of the first Imam and the first Caliph. I'm not getting into details 'cause I would be copying Wikipedia. We weren't there for the pilgrimage its self, we were piggybacking it to avoid possible risks in a place hours away from the nearest village. What we learned there is that some Bektashi figure went to Turkey where Abbas ibn Ali is buried, took some soil from the ground and brought it back here. He blessed it and after that moment, people considered this place as the second burial of Abbas ibn Ali. They visit it each year and they must sleep there if possible. Also, making a sacrifice is seen as the highest respect. The meat then is shared or sold between other pilgrims.
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Abaz Ali Pilgrimage[/caption]Tomorr mountain is famous for its stone formation which is like tiles on top of each other. There are many people digging stone tiles and selling those abroad. The road to the pilgrimage site is rocky because they had to dig the mountain and it looks like it is paved with broken tiles. Also, the road has been dug by a water processing company, they utilize a natural spring close to the pilgrimage site. It takes some two hours of shaking and dust to reach the place in the next photo. There is one big problem though. Since people visit this place once a year, it becomes full of trash and animals waste and remains.
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Abaz Ali Pilgrimage[/caption]Bektashis, although Muslims, they don't have mosques. They have Teqes instead. The one in Tomorr is called Teqja e Kulmakut (Kulmak's Teke), where Kulmak is the village closest to the site. The area around Tomorr is a national park. The Teqe has a big yard but you can't camp in there. There are some big tents, probably for VIPs. Usually the president and other high political figures travel there to wish a happy feast to the pilgrims and maybe seek forgiveness for their sins. The rest of the pilgrims build their tents wherever possible. This leads to garbage, human waste and a bad smell mixed with barbecued meat smell and oxygen from the forest. The first thought that came to my mind was: Whoa, I guess I traveled back to Middle Age. Indeed, that is the first feeling you get when you reach there.
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Abaz Ali Pilgrimage[/caption]There is a public toilette but is better not entering it. Just follow your instincts, like in the Middle Age. At least human waste is biodegradable. There are tents for rent but we had our own tents so we walked further to find a perfect spot far from garbage, plastic bags and beer bottles. Also, is better to bring food with you. The cooked meat is a little bit expensive and there is always the possibility of getting sick (if your stomach is delicate). There are also many people selling bottled water, home made wine which was very impressive (I have worked 4 years in one of the best restaurants in Tirana, I know a few things about wine), bread, meat balls, ice creams, cigars, chewing-gums and all you can think of (in terms of food and beverage). Didn't check for toilet paper though, better bring with you some wet wipes.
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The Market[/caption]The walls on both sides mark the entrance to the holy ground. The road goes through it, you can take a minibus in there, it functions as a bus stop as well. So, to give you an idea, the woman in the photo is Erma, my wife. She faces the road that comes from Polican and behind her back the road continues to the water processing plant which is a couple km further. If you walk some 50 m, the road coming from Polican divides in 2 roads. One comes to this side and the other goes to the top of the mountain. So, there is some sort of a crossroad in the middle of the holy ground.
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