Culture in Albania

Once George Gordon Byron in his masterpiece Childe Harold, second song, wrote the wonderful and emblematic verses about Albanians. In reality Albania was well known even earlier due to, the great internationalized name of its hero George Castriot Scanderbeg. This country has always deserved the attention of the world today more than ever the attention of mankind has turned to Albanians. Albania is experiencing a purgatory with its development and problems. Albania is already open and free. Albanian people are struggling for their final revival. Between Albanian people and mankind there is no longer an iron curtain - no division walls. Albanians constitute a vital population with a high level of natural intelligence. But they have no end of shortages and negative heritage from the past. Linkage with the world is an indication of the continuous emancipation of Albanians. Albanians are determined not to depart from the development and not to shut themselves in their shells. Albanians are an expression of mankind to that amount mankind is an expression of humanism and equality of peoples.

Albanians constitute an ancient and new population with a particular and rare language, the only of its kind among the Indo-European languages, but which constitutes a first-class cultural asset. Albanians are a population of space and motion. The seas constitute their space. Just like climate and life itself, the seas also influence their culture. Albanians are heading to the third millennium together with the phantasmagoric flashes of legends and myths from earliest times. They are advancing and removing themselves from the mistakes, set-backs and backwardness. They are striding forward never to turn back.

Historical Survey

Albania has been inhabited since ancient times. The prehistoric evidence discovered dates back to the period of the middle and late paleolithic, 100,000 - 10,000 years ago. There is also evidence of a number of settlements with a rich culture in the neolithic times, 6,000 - 2000 vears before Christ.

Albanians are immediate descendants of the Illyrians. Illyrians were formed as an indigenous ethnos on the basis of an even more ancient population, identified with the Pellasgos, who merged with the Indo-European population who, settled in the Balkan Peninsula at the end of the Neolithis and the beginning of the Bronze Age. Illyria stretched over the western part of the Balkan, in the north as far as the banks of the Sava and Danube, in the east to, the Morava and Vardar Rivers, which separated it from the Thrace, and in the south and southeast to, the Pindi Mountain Range, which separated it from the Greeks and Macedonians. The name Illyr first referred only to the southern regions, and later came to describe the territories in all of the western Balkan. Illyrians are mentioned by Herodotus in written resources dating from the 5th century before Christ. Detached Illyrian settlements are found on the furthermost coast of the Adriatic (tribes of Mesape, Japige), in Greece and as far as Asia Minor, Troja (the Dardans mentioned in IIomer's epics).

By the end of the 5"' century before Christ, Illvrians entered the road of slave-ownership order and civillan life. Two centuries before this, however, Greek settlements had been set up on the Albanian coast and their inhabitants had merged with the indigenous Illyrians. The largest settlements were Epidamn, Dyrrah, Apolliana, Buthrint, Schodra, Lissus.

In the 4'1' and 3~'' centuries before Christ, the Illyrian state was strengthened by such outstanding figures as Kings Bardhyl, Agron, Teuta, Gent, Monun and Mytyl. The Illyrian state fought against Roman invasion until 168 BC, when Rome conquered Illyria and spread its culture. With the division of the Roman Empire (AD 395) Illyria became part of the Byzantine Empire. Its borders were invaded by the Goths and Havars among other marauding tribes. In the course of the 4th - 7th centuries, the Slavs invaded parts of the north and east Illvria. In spite ~,f the losses they incurred, the compact population of the provinces of Epirus, Prevalitania and Dardania (present Kosovo) managed to cope with the Slav invasion. In the 6th and 7th centuries, as a result of the influence of the cultures of old Illyrians and other cultures, there occurred a new process: the creation of a population now recognized by the new ethnical name of Arber and of the culture of early Albanians. At various times during the Middle Ages, Albania was under the Byzantine as well as Bulgarian, Venetian, Norman, Anjuin and Serb rule.

In 1272 Charles the First of Anju invaded Durres and proclaimed the Kingdom of Arberia. The first Medieval Albanian state, called the State of Arber with Kruja as its capital, was established in the 13th century. In the 14''' century we observe the establishment of state Albanian principalities of Balshaj, Topiaj, Muzakaj, Arianitas, Zenebishta, Shpataj, etc. In the 15th century, the national hero of Albania, George Castriot Scanderbeg (1405-1468) managed to unite the forces of the country into a single state. For 25 years Scanderbeg fought with unprecedented courage against the Turkish conquest. Ten years following his death, Albania became part of the Ottoman Empire. In the 19th century, two large Pashallek districts were created in the framework of this Empire. The Pashallek of Bushatilinj in the north and the Pashallek of Ali Pashe Tepelena in the south.

The 19th century was the century of the National Revival of Albania. In 1878 the Albanian League of Prizren was established with self-governing state attributes and to face attacks by Serb invaders.

On November 28, 1912, Albania was proclaimed an independent state and the national flag was hoisted by Ismail Qemali in Vlora. From 1912 to date Albanian state has continuously been a member of the constellation of world countries. From 1928 to 1939 the Albanian state was a monarchy with Zog the First as its king.

On April 7, 1939, fascist Italy invaded Albania. The great anti-fascist national liberation war thus started. Albanian people ranked themselves at the side of the anti-fascist coalition along with the USA, Britain and the USSR.

On November 29, 1944, the partisan anti-fascist forces liberated Albania. The new communist regime established a single party rule and in the course of 50 years it undertook considerable developments in the field of agriculture, industry popular education, infringing, however, human rights and freedoms.

In 1991 the communist regime was toppled and a democratic pluralist regime was established. Now Albania is a parliamentary republic. It has signed the main documents to become member of European institutions such as the Helsinki and Paris Charters and that of Partnership for Peace with NATO.

In respect of the political historv of Albanians, it should be stressed that in 1913 the Great Powers of Europe divided the Albanian nation into two parts. From that year, called black by Albanians, Kosovo, half of the nation (3 million Albanians), has remained under Serb rule.

History

The territory of present day Albania has been inhabited since the middle Palaeolitic period (100,000 to 40,000 B.C.), but the first significant civilization dates from the Neilitic period (6,000 to 2,000 B.C.). The original people, the Illyrians, are the ancestors of the present day Albanians. Illyrians were skilled in the working of metals, and also engaged in trade and some piracy. These activities soon brought them into contact with the Greeks, who established colonies around 600 B.C. The Illyrian Kingdom came under attack from the Romans in the late 3rd century B.C., with Philip of Macedonia providing military assistance in 214 B.C. Aseries of wars culminated in Roman conquest and control in 167 B.C.

Despite Roman rule, the Illyrians retained their own language, customs and traditions. During this Roman period, which lasted until the 4th century A.D., Illyria enjoyed peace and prosperity, with the city Durres becoming a major Roman trading center. From the 5th until the 12th century, control of the region went back and forth between Byzantium (Constantinople) and the Bulgarians. Independent feudal states were established between the 12th and 14th century. After the Turkish victory over the Serbs in 1389, Albania came under Ottoman control.

From 1443 to 1468, one of Albania's brightest moments in history was their brief freedom from the Turks, led by their national hero, Gjargj Kastrioti (given the name Skanderbeg). From his fortress in Kruje, Skanderbeg led his fellow Albanians in some twenty five battles against the Turks. This brief period of freedom ended eleven years after Skanderbeg's death, with the Turks regaining control in 1479. For the next 433 years the Ottoman Empire controlled the country.

The decline of the Ottoman Empire, assisted by various insurrections, led to Albania's declaration of independence in 1912, with Ismail Qemali heading the first government. The Great Powers recognized Albania as an independent nation in 1913 after they had partitioned Albania, giving more than one-half of the country to Serbia and Greece.

In 1924, following the overthrow of Fan Noli, Albania was ruled by the despotic King Zog, whose own rule ended abruptly in 1939 following the invasion of the country by Mussolini. The Albanian Communist Party was founded in 1941, led by Enver Hoxha. Resistance against the Italians and later the Germans led to the liberation of the country from foreign troops in 1944. Albania was the only Eastern European country without the presence of the Soviet Army.

The People's Republic of Albania with Enver Hoxha as president was established in 1946. Following a break in relations with Yugoslavia in 1948, the removal of Sviet influence in 1960, and a deterioration in relations with China in 1978, Albania chose to follow a unique form of Marxism-Leninism. Albania chose to be isolated from most countries, becoming self-reliant in all matters. Albania's brand of communism was patterned after the form developed by Joseph Stalin. For forty years, Hoxha ruthlessly crushed all dissent and opposition, outlawed all religion, and prepared his country for a possible invasion from the outside world. The U.S., along with the Soviet Union, were the ultimate enemies.

With the death of Hoxha in 1985, the enormous weight of isolationand the atmosphere of fear began to be lifted. Following the breakdown of communism throughout Eastern Europe in 1990, Albania cautiously began to move towards true democracy. This quest culminated in the landslide victory of the democrats in 1992.

In the antique period the Illyrians had a polytheistic mythology. At the very beginning their religions were aconic but in time they accepted an iconographic presentation. Illyrians created an original heathen mythological system. The main figures of Illyrian mythology were the God of War called Medaur and the God of the Sea called Redon, as well as a number of local gods. In contact with the Greek and Roman mythology, under the name of Greek and Roman gods, Illyrians adapted their own local gods. Later on, since the 1st century of our era, Christianity spread in Illyria. Early Christianity was preached by St. Paul himself. The cradle of this Christianity was the town of Durres. Up till late antiquity in the 6th century Christianity underwent great development with majestic basilicas decorated with brilliant artistic mosaics. Later on, with the division of the world-wide Roman Empire into that of the West and East, Albania remained under the frame of Eastern Christianity, but the influence of Western Christianity has been permanent.

In the 15th century, Ottoman occupation marks the beginning of the spread of Islamic religion. But Albanians also practiced secret Christianity, crypto-Christianity, under the Islamic guise. Now the largest part of the population in Albania is Muslim. Of importance in this religion is the sect of Bektashi. Albanians believe in the Orthodox and Catholic churches as well. In 1967 the communist regime banned religious practices and closed religious institutions. Religious freedom and institutions were re-established only following the collapse of the totalitarian regime. Albanian Christianity has produced the greatest figure of all times, Mother Theresa, known also as Theresa of Calcutta, a Nobel Prize winner, who was of Albanian origin. Tolerance and a culture of exemplary understanding have characterized this religious plurality in Albania.

ALBANIA BETWEEN THE MYTH AND THE FUTURE

Albania is a small country with a rich landscape. It is bound by two seas, the Adriatic and Ionian, and has numerous rivers and three large lakes. The peaks of the Alps intertwine with the coastal lowlands, plains full of forest in the North and resembling the Riviera in the South, the kaleidoscope of marvelous ethnographic areas and costumes and folklore.

Albanians owe their origin to the ancient Illyrians of the Continent, with significant vestiges still surviving to this day. The archaeological cities of Buthrintus (sung by Virgil in Eneida as a second Troy), Apollonia (where the Roman Emperor Augustus studied Philosophy) Bulisus and Durres (with its giant amphitheater and temples originally crossed by the Via Egnatia leading to Constantinople) are all examples of this heritage.

The Middle Ages were marked by the figure of George Castriot Scanderbeg, the so-called "Athlete of Christ", a strategist and humanist and founder of Albania national unity. The stories of his achievements and heroism, written by Martin Barleti have, since the XVI century, been translated into countless languages including Portuguese. The Albania of today is symbolized by another figure, that of Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Albania history is marked by its struggle for independence against a totalitarian state. With its age-old links to the sea, the Albanian civilization is full of maritime metaphors, symbols and legends. One of these symbols is the century-old Iembe, a ship invented by the ancient Illyrians.