Besa: the Albanian promise, the back story

About Besa: the Albanian promise, the back story

By the ULTIMATE Tirana Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Ask Albanians about besa and they will tell you it means a promise, faith, honour. A guest is sacred, and a word given is kept, whatever it costs.

A word that must be kept

Besa is an old code of honour from the Albanian highlands, written into the customary law known as the Kanun: once given, a promise binds.

The guest

Hospitality is part of besa. Visitors to Albanian homes are offered coffee, raki and food, and in the mountains guesthouse hosts still treat travellers as guests of the family.

In Albania, the guest belongs to God and the house.

Besa in the Second World War

During the Second World War, Albanians of all faiths sheltered Jewish refugees and local Jews, hiding them in homes and villages. Albania is often said to have had more Jews at the end of the war than at the beginning, and Yad Vashem has recognised dozens of Albanians as Righteous Among the Nations.

Our advice: accept the coffee or raki you are offered, take your time over it, and stay in a family guesthouse in the mountains or the UNESCO towns to experience Albanian hospitality at its best.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Besa: the Albanian promise, the back story before you go.