Nasibi Tahir Babai

Nasibi Tahir Babai (died 1835), born Tahir Skënderasi, was an Albanian Bektashi saint, and one of the earliest poets belonging to the Bejtexhinj period.

Tahir Babai took the nickname Nasibi (the fortunate one) after it was reported that the door of the tekke of Haji Bektash Veli in Asia Minor opened miraculously of its own accord to allow him to enter. In his late years he would settle in Frashër, Kazza of Përmet, back then Ottoman Empire (today's Albania), where he would found the Tekke of Frashër, a Bektashi tekke which would play an important role not only the religious point of view as a key Sufi center, but would also play a role in the Albanian National Awakening process.
The tekke was built in 1815 and he served there until his death in 1835. He developed the tekke of Frashër and the one in Leskovik as cultural and literature centers. He was without doubt an inspiration for two other Bektashi raised Albanian writers, Şemseddin Sami and his brother Naim Frashëri, who would give a great contribute into forging the Albanian national conscience. Tahir Babai was regarded as one of three spiritual advisers of Ali Pasha Tepelena.
He was buried in a türbe near the tekke he built, and his grave is a pilgrimage destination.

Nasibi Tahir had studied in Iran, traveled around the Middle East in his youth, visiting Iraq and other Arab countries where he would get in touch with Oriental literature. Unfortunately, the work that he created was lost. According to Şemseddin Sami's Ottoman encyclopedia Kamûs-ül Â'lâm, he composed much verse in Albanian, Turkish, and Persian.