Early life Kamber Ali was born in 1869 (or 1870) in the village of Pagria, located near
Përmet, Albania, which was then under the
Ottoman Empire. He served as a dervish under
Baba Abedin in
Frashër. Kamber Ali was also an active part of the
Albanian National Awakening and taught
Albanian in the
Skrapar,
Përmet, and
Tomorrica regions. In 1910, Kamber Ali, Ahmet Turani, and Sulejman of Gjirokastra were each appointed as
gjysh (baba) by
Fejzi Dede at the
pir evi of
Haji Bektash Veli in
Hacıbektaş, central Anatolia.
World War I exile and return to Albania During the Greek occupation of
World War I, Kamber Ali fled to
Candia (
Heraklion) in
Crete, and then went on to the United States in 1916. While in the United States, he campaigned to raise funds for the tekkes among the
Albanian Americans. In 1919 or 1920, he returned to Albania to help rebuild the tekkes destroyed during World War I. The year after that, he became the baba of Prishta and of Suka, succeeding Baba Hysen after his death. Kamber Ali was one of the main organizers of the first three
National Congresses of the Bektashi.
World War II In November 1942, he joined the
Balli Kombëtar, an anti-Communist resistance movement. While in the Balli Kombëtar, he was closely associated with
Ali bey Këlcyra, one of the leaders of the movement. Baba Kamber Ali was elected
kryegjysh of the Bektashi community on 12 April 1944, succeeding
Ali Riza Dede.
Arrest and death In December 1944, at the age of 74, Kamber Ali was arrested by the Communists was sentenced to life in prison due to his participation in the
Balli Kombëtar. He died on 5 April 1950 in the Tirana
prison hospital. ==Tyrbe==