Albania is Europe's only predominantly Muslim country—a legacy of nearly five centuries of Ottoman rule. At the end of World War II some 70 percent of the population was Muslim, 20 percent Eastern Orthodox, and 10 percent Roman Catholic. The Roman Catholics were located in the northern part of the country, particularly in the city of Shkodër, while Orthodox Christians lived in the southern districts of Gjirokastër, Korçë, Berat, and Vlorë. The Muslims were spread throughout the land, although they particularly dominated the centre. Most of them were traditional Sunnites, but about one-quarter were members of the liberal, pantheistic Bektashi sect, which for a time had its headquarters in Tiranë.

Despite such a diverse religious background, Albania has been free of religious conflict, mainly because Albanians have traditionally displayed a high degree of religious tolerance. Nevertheless, the communist government, during its 45 years of absolute rule, engaged in large-scale persecution of believers. In 1967 it officially proclaimed Albania an atheistic country, closing all churches and mosques, confiscating property, and banning religious observances. Since this poicy was abandoned in 1990 and freedom of worship guaranteed, churches and mosques have reopened all over the country, but Albanian believers have had to seek foreign assistance in building or repairing their institutions and in training their clergy.