Apostol Meksi was an

Albanian 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 ...

doctor, folklorist and patriot. He was among the first intellectuals involved in the

Albanian National Awakening The Albanian National Awakening ( sq, Rilindja or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political and social movement in the Albanian history where the ...

that sought independence from 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) ...

, and among the first who studied

Albanian folklore Albanian folk beliefs ( sq, Besimet folklorike shqiptare) comprise the beliefs expressed in the customs, rituals, myths, legends and tales of the Albanian people. The elements of Albanian mythology are of Paleo-Balkanic origin and almost all o ...

Life

Apostol Meksi was born in 1825 in

Labovë e Madhe Labovë, alternatively Labova e Madhe (Great Labova; el, Μέγα Λάμποβο) or Labova e Zhapës (Zappas' Labova), is a village in the former Odrie municipality, Gjirokastër County, Southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it ...

. His father Jorgji came from a family known in the area for its intellectual activities. Apostol Meksi studied at

Zosimea The ''Zosimaia'' School ( el, Ζωσιμαία Σχολή, ''Zosimaía Scholí'') of Ioannina (in Epirus) has been one of the most significant Greek middle-level educational institutions (high schools) during the last period of Ottoman rule in th ...

, where he met Konstandin Kristoforidhi. Together they shared a great interest in Albanian folklore, including traditional tales, songs and dances. During their time in

Ioannina Ioannina ( el, Ιωάννινα ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus, an administrative region in north-western Greece. According to the 2011 census, the c ...

, they taught Albanian to George von Hahn, and gave him valuable Albanian folk materials.

References

Activists of the Albanian National Awakening 19th-century Albanian people Albanian folklorists {{Albania-bio-stub