Xhelil Bega or Çelo Picari (1801–1880) was an Albanian revolutionary leader of the

Albanian Revolt of 1847 The Albanian Revolt of 1847 was a 19th-century uprising in southern Albania directed against Ottoman Tanzimat reforms which started in 1839 and were gradually being put in action in the regions of Albania. Background The primary aim of the Tanz ...

Life

Born ''Xhelil Bega'' in 1801 in the old

Picar Picar is a village and a former municipality in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Gjirokastër. The population at the 2011 census was 937.

, a settlement that is no longer inhabited and in ruins, but close to today's Picar, in southern Albania, he later preferred to be called ''Çelo Picari''. In his youth he was a shepherd and at that time he was recruited by Ali Pasha in Ioannina. In 1821 he commanded the troops of the Pashalik of Yannina that were defending Tepelenë against the Ottoman army. After Ali Pasha's defeat he was interned in

Preveza Preveza ( el, Πρέβεζα, ) is a city in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located on the northern peninsula at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epiru ...

. He later participated in several uprisings with Zylyftar Poda but avoided getting killed in the

Massacre of the Albanian beys The Massacre of the Albanian beys occurred on 9 August 1830, when around 500 Albanian leaders ( beys) and their personal guards were killed by Ottoman forces in the town of Manastir (present-day Bitola, North Macedonia). The massacre led to the ...

by not responding to an invitation. As an act of revenge along with other groups under Kapllan Kuca he burnt part of center of Ioannina, where the Ottoman garrison lived. As a result of his participation in the

Albanian Revolts of 1833–1839 Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

he was imprisoned in

Konya Konya () is a major city in central Turkey, on the southwestern edge of the Central Anatolian Plateau, and is the capital of Konya Province. During antiquity and into Seljuk times it was known as Iconium (), although the Seljuks also called it ...

until 1844. Picari participated in the

along with

Tafil Buzi Tafil Buzi (1792 - 1844) was an Albanian leader and fighter, known for his role in various rebellions against Ottoman government in South Albania during the Albanian Revolts of 1833-1839. During his activity he had relations with Muhammad Ali of E ...

and

Zenel Gjoleka Zenel Gjoleka (1805-1852) was an Albanian revolutionary fighter born in Kuç of Kurvelesh who participated in rebellions against the Ottoman Empire central authority, being against reforms of Tanzimat (that decreased the power of the local Albani ...

and his name is among the names of the Albanians who asked

Otto of Greece Otto (, ; 1 June 181526 July 1867) was a Bavarian prince who ruled as King of Greece from the establishment of the monarchy on 27 May 1832, under the Convention of London, until he was deposed on 23 October 1862. The second son of King Ludw ...

for help in their uprising against the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. When Picari was captured he was again interned in Konya until 1852. Picari died in

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, Greece in 1880. Picari was close friends with Ismail Vlora, the grandfather of

Ismail Qemali Ismail Qemal bey Vlora, mostly known as Ismail Qemali (; 16 January 184426 January 1919), was an Albanian diplomat, politician, rilindas, statesman and the Founding Father of modern Albania, and one of the most famous Southern Albanian perso ...

, the founder of modern

Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...

Folklore

Çelo Picari is a frequent subject of southern Albanian folk songs regarding Ali Pasha and the

. These songs include among other lyrics that compare him to the Souliot

Markos Botsaris Markos Botsaris ( el, Μάρκος Μπότσαρης c. 1788 – 21 August 1823) was a chieftain of the Souliotes and hero of the Greek War of Independence, and general of the Greek army.Brigands with a Cause, Brigandage and Irredentism ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Picari, Celo 1802 births 1880 deaths Albanian activists People from Gjirokastër People from Tepelenë Ali Pasha of Ioannina Albanian expatriates in Greece