Haxhi Et'hem Bey also known as Haxhi Et'hem bey Mollaj (1783–1846) was an Ottoman Albanian administrator, nobleman and

bejtexhi The Bejtexhinj (in Albanian sing. ''bejtexhi'', pl. ''bejtexhinj''; from tr, beyte meaning "poem"), were popular bards of the Muslim tradition, literally meaning "couplet makers". It means the same in the Albanian literature, firstly muslim poet ...

. Et'hem Bey was the son of Molla Bey of Petrela, from one of the prominent families of the

Tirana 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 ...

area, back then part of the

Ottoman Albania Albania under the Ottoman Empire refers to a period in History of Albania, Albanian history from the Ottoman conquest in the late 15th century to the Albanian Declaration of Independence, Albanian declaration of Independence and official secessi ...

. He is descendant of Sulejman Pasha Bargjini, who gave the main contribution to the development of Tirana as a commercial and religious center. His family was an opponent of the powerful Toptani family and with connected to the Bushatlliu family of Shkodra. As a result, Abdyl Rahman Toptani exiled him away from Tirana. He would reconcile later with the Ottoman rulers by joining the Ottoman campaign against Mustafa Pasha Bushati in 1831. Etëhem Bey finished in 1819 or 1821 the Ethem Bey Mosque in the main square of Tirana, which bears his name. The mosque was started by his father Molla Bey between 1791-1794. He was buried in Ethem Bey Mosque, next to his wife Balkis. Etëhem Bey was also a '' diwan'' poet. He wrote both in Turkish and Albanian. His work in Turkish consists of 4 ''diwans''. In Albanian he wrote a

Bektashi The Bektashi Order; sq, Tarikati Bektashi; tr, Bektaşi or Bektashism is an Islamic Sufi mystic movement originating in the 13th-century. It is named after the Anatolian saint Haji Bektash Wali (d. 1271). The community is currently led by ...

mystical poem and a ''diwan'', out of which nothing has survived. For the Turkish work, he used the pen-name "Shehidi" (the Martyr).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mollaj, Etehem Bey 18th-century Albanian people 19th-century Albanian people 1783 births 1846 deaths Albanian Muslims Albanian-language poets Turkish-language poets People from Tirana Sanjak of Scutari Albanians from the Ottoman Empire Divan poets from the Ottoman Empire 18th-century Albanian poets 19th-century Albanian poets Bektashi Order Albanian Sufis Albanian male poets 18th-century male writers