Qamil Izet Çami (January 4, 1875 – September 26, 1933) 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 ...

rilindas 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 ...

, poet, and teacher. He and other

from his area opened the first Albanian-language school of

Filiates Filiates ( el, Φιλιάτες; ) is a town and a municipality in Thesprotia, Greece. It is located in the northernmost part of the regional unit, bordering western Ioannina regional unit and southern Albania. Name The region of Filiates was kno ...

in 1908 .

Life

Qami Çami was born in

, then a town of 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) ...

on January 4, 1875. In his youth he became a member of the literary club of Albanian students of

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 ...

. After graduating in

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

he was appointed minor prefect of

Sagiada Sagiada ( el, Σαγιάδα) is a village and a former municipality in Thesprotia, Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Filiates, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 8 ...

in 1905. In 1907 also starting working as a teacher in the Ottoman school of his town, Filiates and taught written

secretly. On August 25, 1908 along with other

opened the first Albanian-language school of Filiates and became its headmaster. The funds were provided by the people of Filiates, such as

Musa Demi Musa Demi (1878–1971) was an Albanian revolutionary and writer. He was one of the main proponents of the Albanian National Awakening in the region of Filiates, Paramythia and Igoumenitsa (Çamëria). Life Musa Demi was born in Filiates, then ...

of the area and by other notable

Cham Albanians Cham Albanians or Chams ( sq, Çamë; el, Τσάμηδες, ''Tsámidhes''), are a sub-group of Albanians who originally resided in the western part of the region of Epirus in northwestern Greece, an area known among Albanians as Chameria. T ...

Rasih Dino Rasih Dino (1865–1927 or 1928) was an Albanian politician, diplomat and a figure of the Albanian national movement of the early 20th century. Life Rasih Dino was born in 1865 in Preveza to the notable Dino family of the area. His father was ...

, son of

Abedin Dino Abedin bey Dino ( tr, Prevezeli Abeddin Bey Dino), also Abedin Pasha ( tr, Prevezeli Abidin Paşa; 5 April 1843, in Preveza – 9 May 1906, in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire) was an Albanian people, Albanian patriot, politician, ideologue and diplo ...

. During the

Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...

, he was imprisoned in

by the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

army. He managed to escape after 10 months and went to

Vlorë Vlorë ( , ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the third most populous city of the Republic of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surrounded by the foothi ...

. In 1917 he was appointed director of education of south-eastern

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 ...

and was located in

Moscopole Moscopole or Voskopoja ( sq, Voskopojë; rup, Moscopole, with several other variants; el, Μοσχόπολις, Moschopolis) is a village in Korçë County in southeastern Albania. During the 18th century, it was the cultural and commercial ...

. In 1920 the

Italian army "The safeguard of the republic shall be the supreme law" , colors = , colors_labels = , march = ''Parata d'Eroi'' ("Heroes's parade") by Francesco Pellegrino, ''4 Maggio'' (May 4) ...

imprisoned him in

Sazan Sazan ( sq-definite, Sazani) is an Albania, Albanian uninhabited island in the Mediterranean Sea. The Islands of Albania, largest of Albania's islands, it is a designated military exclusion zone; it lies in a strategically important location bet ...

because he helped members of the Albanian independence movement. He was released from there after the end of the

Vlora War The Vlora War or the War of 1920 ( sq, Lufta e Vlorës or ''Lufta e Njëzetës''; it, Guerra di Valona) was a series of battles between Italian forces garrisoned throughout the Vlorë region of Albania (an Italian protectorate) and Albanian nati ...

on August 4, 1920. In 1922, after the proposal of

Jani Minga Jani Minga (1 August 1872 – 7 May 1947) was a patriot Albanian teacher and a notable follower of the National Renaissance of Albania. He was one of the signatories of Albanian Declaration of Independence. Life Minga was born in Shënpjetër vill ...

to the Albanian government, Çami became prefect of

Konispol Konispol ( sq-definite, Konispoli) is the southernmost town in Albania. It sits one kilometer away from the Border crossings of Albania, Albanian-Greek border. The settlement is inhabited by Muslim Cham Albanians. Konispol is the modern centre of t ...

. From 1924 to 1927 he worked voluntarily as teacher of the Albanian language for the

Cham Albanian Cham Albanians or Chams ( sq, Çamë; el, Τσάμηδες, ''Tsámidhes''), are a sub-group of Albanians who originally resided in the western part of the region of Epirus in northwestern Greece, an area known among Albanians as Chameria. Th ...

minority of

Thesprotia Thesprotia (; el, Θεσπρωτία, ) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the Epirus region. Its capital and largest town is Igoumenitsa. Thesprotia is named after the Thesprotians, an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the re ...

, Greece (

Çamëria Chameria ( sq, Çamëria; el, Τσαμουριά, ''Tsamouriá''; tr, Çamlık) is a term used today mostly by Albanians to refer to parts of the coastal region of Epirus in southern Albania and Greece, traditionally associated with the Albani ...

), in the area of

Paramythia Paramythia ( el, Παραμυθιά) is a town and a former municipality in Thesprotia, Epirus (region), Epirus, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Souli, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. Th ...

. He died on September 26, 1933 in

Tiranë Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...

. His poems were published after his death. He is considered one of the poets of the later era of the

Albanian National Revival 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 ...

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cami, Qamil 1875 births 1933 deaths People from Filiates Albanian male poets Albanian poets Albanian educators Activists of the Albanian National Awakening Albanian-language writers