Naim Frashëri
Encyclopedia
Naim Frashëri was an Albanian
poet and writer. He was one of the most prominent figures of the Albanian National Awakening of the 19th century, together with his two brothers Sami and Abdyl
. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Albania
.
from Frashër
, in the nowadays District of Përmet. Naim studied at the Zosimea Greek high school of Ioannina
, when the city was part of the Ottoman Empire
.
As he hailed from a family with long connections to the Bektashi
Sufi order, Naim became an Ottoman official in Sarandë
, Berat
, and Ioannina. In 1882, Frashëri went to Istanbul
and started his service in Ottoman
culture ministry.
Naim took part in the National Renaissance of Albania, and often had to sign his writings using his initials, as otherwise he would have placed himself in danger working in an official Ottoman position. His works had to be smuggled into Albania.
His earliest writings were poetry. The very first pieces Frashëri wrote were in Persian
. In all, he authored twenty-two major works: four in Turkish
, one in Persian
, two in Greek
and fifteen in Albanian
. His early patriotic poems and highly popular lyric poetry
were strongly influenced by Persian literature
, and later also French poetry
. He also translated several fables of Jean de la Fontaine
, Homer
's Iliad
, and wrote articles on didactics
and Islam
ic practice. Naim's poem Herds and Tillage depicts the activities of the shepherd and the tiller, alongside his personal reflections on the beauty of Albanian landscapes and expressions of longing for his homeland. The epic poem Skanderbeg's Story retells the life of the Albanian national hero George Kastrioti Skanderbeg intertwined with imaginary episodes.
Frashëri died in Kızıltoprak, Kadıköy
, a neighborhood of Istanbul
, in present-day Turkey
.
's uncle, founder of the Turkish football club Galatasaray
.
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Through his writings, Frashëri exerted a strong influence on later Albanian literature
and society. The independent Albanian state created an order of merit
that bears his name, awarded to, amongst others, Mother Teresa
. A publishing house in Tirana
was named Naim Frashëri. Also in his honor some Albanian elementary schools are named Naim Frashëri too.
Naim Frashëri is depicted on the obverse
s of the Albanian 500 lekë
banknote of 1992-1996, and the 200 lekë banknote issued since 1996.
Albanians
Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
poet and writer. He was one of the most prominent figures of the Albanian National Awakening of the 19th century, together with his two brothers Sami and Abdyl
Abdyl Frashëri
Abdyl Frashëri People's Hero of Albania was an Albanian diplomat, politician, writer, and a first political ideologue of the Albanian National Awakening through the League of Prizren...
. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
.
Early life and career
His father was an impoverished beyBey
Bey is a title for chieftain, traditionally applied to the leaders of small tribal groups. Accoding to some sources, the word "Bey" is of Turkish language In historical accounts, many Turkish, other Turkic and Persian leaders are titled Bey, Beg, Bek, Bay, Baig or Beigh. They are all the same word...
from Frashër
Frashër
Frashër is a municipality in the Përmet District, Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. The municipality consists of the villages Frashër, Zavalan, Ogren-Kostrec, Gostivisht, Miçan, Vërçisht, Kreshovë and Soropull.-Notable people:...
, in the nowadays District of Përmet. Naim studied at the Zosimea Greek high school of Ioannina
Ioannina
Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
, when the city was part of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
As he hailed from a family with long connections to the Bektashi
Bektashi
Bektashi Order or Bektashism is an Islamic Sufi order founded in the 13th century by the Persian saint Haji Bektash Veli. In addition to the spiritual teachings of Haji Bektash Veli the order was significantly influenced during its formative period by both the Hurufis as well as the...
Sufi order, Naim became an Ottoman official in Sarandë
Sarandë
Sarandë or Saranda is the capital of the District of Sarandë, Albania, and is one of the most important tourist attractions of the Albanian Riviera. It is situated on an open sea gulf of the Ionian Sea in the Mediterranean 2 nautical miles from the Greek island of Corfu. The city of Saranda has a...
, Berat
Berat
Berat is a town located in south-central Albania. As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of around 71,000 people. It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat...
, and Ioannina. In 1882, Frashëri went to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
and started his service in Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
culture ministry.
Naim took part in the National Renaissance of Albania, and often had to sign his writings using his initials, as otherwise he would have placed himself in danger working in an official Ottoman position. His works had to be smuggled into Albania.
His earliest writings were poetry. The very first pieces Frashëri wrote were in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
. In all, he authored twenty-two major works: four in Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
, one in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, two in Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and fifteen in Albanian
Albanian language
Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
. His early patriotic poems and highly popular lyric poetry
Lyric poetry
Lyric poetry is a genre of poetry that expresses personal and emotional feelings. In the ancient world, lyric poems were those which were sung to the lyre. Lyric poems do not have to rhyme, and today do not need to be set to music or a beat...
were strongly influenced by Persian literature
Persian literature
Persian literature spans two-and-a-half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. Its sources have been within historical Persia including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian language has historically been the national language...
, and later also French poetry
French poetry
French poetry is a category of French literature. It may include Francophone poetry composed outside France and poetry written in other languages of France.-French prosody and poetics:...
. He also translated several fables of Jean de la Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine
Jean de La Fontaine was the most famous French fabulist and one of the most widely read French poets of the 17th century. He is known above all for his Fables, which provided a model for subsequent fabulists across Europe and numerous alternative versions in France, and in French regional...
, Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
's Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
, and wrote articles on didactics
Didactics
A didactic method is a teaching method that follows a consistent scientific approach or educational style to engage the student’s mind.The didactic method of instruction is often contrasted with dialectics and the Socratic method; the term can also be used to refer to a specific didactic method,...
and Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic practice. Naim's poem Herds and Tillage depicts the activities of the shepherd and the tiller, alongside his personal reflections on the beauty of Albanian landscapes and expressions of longing for his homeland. The epic poem Skanderbeg's Story retells the life of the Albanian national hero George Kastrioti Skanderbeg intertwined with imaginary episodes.
Frashëri died in Kızıltoprak, Kadıköy
Kadiköy
Kadıköy is a large, populous, and cosmopolitan district of İstanbul, Turkey on the Asian side of the Sea of Marmara, facing the historic city centre on the European side of the Bosporus...
, a neighborhood of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, in present-day Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Family
The renowned Albanian poet was also Ali Sami YenAli Sami Yen
Ali Sami Yen is best known as the founder of Galatasaray Sports Club. His original name was Ali Sami Frashëri and he is the son of Sami Frashëri, one of the most famous Albanian writers, philosophers and playwrights...
's uncle, founder of the Turkish football club Galatasaray
Galatasaray
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Water polo, Swimming, Rowing, Sailing, Judo, Bridge, Equestrian, Handball,...
.
Influence and Recognition
Albanian literature
The Albanian literature is the literature written by Albanians.-Renaissance:The expansion of the Ottoman Empire pushed many Albanians from their homeland during the period of the Western European Renaissance humanism...
and society. The independent Albanian state created an order of merit
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
that bears his name, awarded to, amongst others, Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
. A publishing house in Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
was named Naim Frashëri. Also in his honor some Albanian elementary schools are named Naim Frashëri too.
Naim Frashëri is depicted on the obverse
Obverse and reverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags , seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
s of the Albanian 500 lekë
Albanian lek
The lek is the official currency of Albania. It is subdivided into 100 qindarka , although qindarka are no longer issued.-Names:...
banknote of 1992-1996, and the 200 lekë banknote issued since 1996.
Bagëti e Bujqësi
His most famous work was Bagëti e Bujqësi. The following in an excerpt:| Albanian lyrics | Translation |
|---|---|
| Bagëti e Bujqësi (Small impression) | |
"Ti Shqipëri, më jep nder, më jep emrin shqipëtar," "Zëmrën ti ma gatove plot me dëshirë dhe me zjarr." "Shqipëri, o mëma ime, ndonëse jam i mërguar," "Dashurinë tënde kurrë zemëra s'e ka harruar." |
You, Albania, give me honor, give me the name Albanian, You filled my heart, with desire and fire." Albania, oh my mother, even though I have emigrated," my heart has never forgotten your love." |
Works
- Kavaidi Farisiyye ber tarzi nevin (Grammar of the Persian language according to the new method), Istanbul, 1871.
- Ihtiraat ve kessfiyyat (Inventions and Discoveries), Istanbul, 1881.
- Fusuli erbea (Four Seasons, Istanbul, 1884.
- Tahayyülat (Dreams), Istanbul, 1884.
- Bagëti e Bujqësi (Herds and Crops), Bucharest, 1886.
- E këndimit çunavet (Reader for Boys), Bucharest, 1886.
- Istori e përgjithshme për mësonjëtoret të para (General history for the first grades), Bucharest, 1886.
- Vjersha për mësonjëtoret të para (Poetry for the first grades), Bucharest, 1886.
- Dituritë për mësonjëtoret të para (General knowledge for the first grades), Bucharest, 1886.
- O alithis pothos ton Skypetaron (The True Desire of Albanians), Bucharest, 1886.
- Luletë e Verësë (Flowers of the Summer), Bucharest, 1890.
- Mësime (Lessons), Bucharest, 1894.
- Parajsa dhe fjala fluturake,(Paradise and the Flying Word) Bucharest, 1894.
- Gjithësia (Omneity), Bucharest, 1895.
- Fletore e bektashinjët, (The Bektashi Notebook)Bucharest, 1895.
- O eros (Love), Istanbul, 1895.
- Iliadh' e Omirit, Bucharest, Homer's Illyad, 1896.
- Histori e Skënderbeut (History of Skanderbeg), Bucharest, 1898.
- Qerbelaja, Bucharest, (Qerbela), 1898.
- Istori e Shqipërisë (History of Albania), Sofia, 1899.
- Shqipëria (Albania), Sofia, 1902.