Naim bey Frashëri, more commonly Naim Frashëri (; ; 25 May 184620 October 1900), was an Albanian historian, journalist, poet, translator, and one of the most prominent figures of the

Albanian National Awakening The Albanian National Awakening ( 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 Albanian ...

. Regarded as a pioneer of modern

Albanian literature Albanian literature stretches back to the Middle Ages and comprises those literary texts and works written in Albanian language, Albanian. It may also refer to literature written by Albanians in Albania, Kosovo and the Albanian diaspora particul ...

and one of the most influential Albanian cultural icons of the 19th century, he was proclaimed as the

national poet A national poet or national bard is a poet held by tradition and popular acclaim to represent the identity, beliefs and principles of a particular national culture. The national poet as culture hero is a long-standing symbol, to be distinguished ...

of Albania. Frashëri's works explored themes such as

freedom Freedom is the power or right to speak, act, and change as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving oneself one's own laws". In one definition, something is "free" i ...

, humanity, unity, tolerance and revolution. His twenty-two works consist of fifteen works written in

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 ...

as well as four in Turkish, two in Greek and one in Persian. He is considered to be the most representative writer of

Sufi poetry Sufi literature consists of works in various languages that express and advocate the ideas of Sufism. Sufism had an important influence on medieval literature, especially poetry, that was written in Arabic, New Persian, Persian, Punjabi language ...

in Albanian, and having been under the influence of his uncle

Dalip Frashëri use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = Konitsa, Ottoman Empire , death_cause = , nationality = , other_names = Hyxhretiu ...

, he tried to mingle

Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

with

Western philosophy Western philosophy refers to the Philosophy, philosophical thought, traditions and works of the Western world. Historically, the term refers to the philosophical thinking of Western culture, beginning with the ancient Greek philosophy of the Pre ...

in his poetical ideals. He had an extraordinarily profound impact on Albanian literature and society during the 20th century, most notably on Asdreni, Gjergj Fishta and Lasgush Poradeci, among many others. '' Ti Shqipëri, më jep nder, më jep emrin Shqipëtar'' ("You Albania, you give me honour, you give me the name Albanian"), a memorable line in his poem ''O malet e Shqipërisë'', has been designated as the

national motto This article lists state and national mottos for the world's nations. The mottos for some states lacking general international recognition, extinct states, non-sovereign nations, regions, and territories are listed, but their names are not bold ...

of Albania. It speaks to unity and freedom and it embodies in its words a sense of pride towards the country and people.

Life

Family

Naim Frashëri was born on 25 May 1846 into a wealthy

family of religious belief affiliated with the

Bektashi Bektashism (, ) is a tariqa, Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the wali, ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The ...

tariqa A ''tariqa'' () is a religious order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking , which translates as "ultimate truth". A tariqa has a (guide) who plays the ...

of Islam, in the village of Frashër in what was then part of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

and now

Albania Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...

. He, Abdyl and

Sami Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise ne ...

were one of eight children of Halid Frashëri (1797–1859), a landowner and military commander and Emine (1814–1861). Halid belonged to the Dakollari branch of the Frashëri family. They were descendants of Ajaz Bey from Gramsh who in 1650–60 was given the command of Frashër. Ajaz Bey's grandfather, Hamza Bey had lost his lands in Tomorrica in 1570 when he rebelled and was exiled but the family's fortunes changed with the rise of

Köprülü Mehmed Pasha Köprülü Mehmed Pasha (, , ; or ''Qyprilliu'', also called ''Mehmed Pashá Rojniku''; 1575, Roshnik,– 31 October 1661, Edirne) was Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire and founding patriarch of the Köprülü political dynasty. He helped ...

who intervened on their behalf and they were pardoned. Emine came from the family of

Iljaz Bej Mirahori Iljaz Bej Mirahori () was an Ottoman Albanian military commander and governor, who served sultan Bayezid II. He founded the town of Korçë in Albania in the 15th century, participated in the Conquest of Constantinople and built the Monastery ...

from the region around

Korçë Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, eighth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population of the city is 51,152 and 75,994 of Korçë municipal ...

that traced its

ancestry An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder, or a forebear, is a parent or ( recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from ...

back to the 15th century. Naim and his brothers Abdyl and

were born and raised in the village of Frashër at the southern slopes of the Tomorr Mountains. He became acquainted with numerous cultures and languages such as

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

Ancient Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history through late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the development of Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient h ...

and

Modern Greek Modern Greek (, or , ), generally referred to by speakers simply as Greek (, ), refers collectively to the dialects of the Greek language spoken in the modern era, including the official standardized form of the language sometimes referred to ...

, French, Italian,

Ottoman Turkish Ottoman Turkish (, ; ) was the standardized register of the Turkish language in the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extensively, in all aspects, from Arabic and Persian. It was written in the Ottoman Turkish alphabet. ...

and Persian. He was one of the few men to whom the literary culture of the

Occident The Occident is a term for the West, traditionally comprising anything that belongs to the Western world. It is the antonym of the term ''Orient'', referring to the Eastern world. In English, it has largely fallen into disuse. The term occidental ...

and

Orient The Orient is a term referring to the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of the term ''Occident'', which refers to the Western world. In English, it is largely a meto ...

was equally familiar and valuable. Upon the death of his father, he and his family settled to

Ioannina Ioannina ( ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus (region), Epirus, an Modern regions of Greece, administrative region in northwester ...

where he earned initial inspiration for his future poetries written in the

lyric Lyric may refer to: * Lyrics, the words, often in verse form, which are sung, usually to a melody, and constitute the semantic content of a song * Lyric poetry is a form of poetry that expresses a subjective, personal point of view * Lyric, from t ...

and romantic style. After he suffered a severe lung infection, due to his congenital

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

, in

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

, he joined his brother Abdyl in the fight for national freedom and consciousness of the Albanian people during the Albanian Renaissance in which he later became the most distinguished representative of that period.

Education

His religion paved the way for many of his future accomplishments. In the Tekke of Frashër, he received lessons in all the common subjects of his time especially in

language Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...

s such as

and Persian. As a member of a family which gave him a strong

upbringing, he spent a part of his time in a Bektashi tekke. After the death of their parents, the family moved to

in 1865. The eldest brother, Abdyl (b. 1839), became the family head at the age of 22 and started working as a merchant. That year Naim and Sami enrolled in the Zosimaia secondary school. The education there provided Naim with the basics of a classical education along Western lines. Apart from languages he learned in the Zosiamaia (Ancient and Modern Greek, French and Italian), Naim took private lessons in Persian, Turkish and Arabic from two important local Bektashi. After he finished his studies in 1870, Frashëri worked for a few months at the press office in Istanbul (1870) but was forced to return to his home village because of tuberculosis. The climate of Frashër helped Naim and soon he started work in the Ottoman bureaucracy as a clerk in Berat and later in Saranda (1872–1877). However, in 1876 Frashëri left the job and went to

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Ba ...

, in modern

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

to cure his problems with rheumatism in a health resort.

Politics

In 1879, along with his brother Sami and 25 other Albanians, Naim Frashëri founded and was a member of the

Society for the Publication of Albanian Writings Society for the Publication of Albanian Letters () (Arvanitika: Σ̈oκ̇ε̰ρι ε τε̰ Σ̈τυπȣρι Σ̈κρoν̇α Σ̈κ̇ιπ) was a patriotic organization of Albanians, Albanian intellectuals, promoting publications in Albanian langu ...

in Istanbul that promoted Albanian language publications. Ottoman authorities forbid writing in Albanian in 1885 which resulted in publications being published abroad and Frashëri used his initials N.H.F. to bypass those restrictions for his works. Later on, Albanian schools were established in 1887 in Southeastern Albania. An Albanian magazine, '' Drita'', appeared in 1884 under the editorship of

Petro Poga Petro Poga (1860–1944) was an Albanian politician who served as a delegate at the Albanian Declaration of Independence event in Vlorë, 1912, and an important Rilindas. Biography Early life He could've been born in Erind, Gjirokastër, ...

and later Pandeli Sotiri with Naim Frashëri being a behind-the-scenes editor as it was not allowed by Ottoman authorities to write in Albanian at that time. Naim Frashëri and other Albanian writers like his brother Sami Frashëri would write using pseudonyms in Poga's publication. Due to a lack of education material Naim Frashëri, his brother Sami and several other Albanians wrote textbooks in the Albanian language during the late 1880s for the Albanian school in Korçë. In a letter to Faik Konitza in 1887, Frashëri expressed sentiments regarding the precarious state of the Ottoman Empire that the best outcome for Albanians was a future annexation of all of Albania by

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

. In 1900 Naim Frashëri died in Istanbul. During the 1950s the Turkish government allowed for his remains to be sent and reburied in Albania.

Career

Works

With its literary stature and the broad range of both stylistic and thematic content, Frashëri significantly contributed to the development of the modern

literary language Literary language is the Register (sociolinguistics), register of a language used when writing in a formal, academic writing, academic, or particularly polite tone; when speaking or writing in such a tone, it can also be known as formal language. ...

. The importance of his works lies less in his creative expression than in the

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives fro ...

and

political Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...

intention of his poetry and faith. His works were noted by the desire for the emergence of an

independent Albania Independent Albania () was a parliamentary state declared in Vlorë (at the time part of Ottoman Empire) on 28 November 1912 during the First Balkan War. Its assembly was constituted on the same day while its government and senate were establish ...

n unity that overcomes denominational and territorial differences, and by an optimistic belief in civilization and the political,

economic An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

and

cultural Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

rise of the

Albanian people The Albanians are an ethnic group native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, Albanian culture, culture, Albanian history, history and Albanian language, language. They are the main ethnic group of Albania and Kosovo, ...

. In his poem ''Bagëti e Bujqësi'', Frashëri idyllically describes the natural and cultural beauty of Albania and the modest life of its people where nothing infringes on mystical euphoria and all conflicts find reconciliation and fascination. Frashëri saw his liberal

religion Religion is a range of social system, social-cultural systems, including designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics in religion, ethics, or ...

as a profound source for Albanian libration, tolerance and national awareness among his religiously divided people. He, therefore, composed his

theological Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of an ...

''Fletore e Bektashinjet'' which is now a piece of national importance. It contains an introductory profession of his faith and ten spiritual poems granting a contemporary perspective into the beliefs of the

sect A sect is a subgroup of a religion, religious, politics, political, or philosophy, philosophical belief system, typically emerging as an offshoot of a larger organization. Originally, the term referred specifically to religious groups that had s ...

. #Kavâid-i farisiyye dar tarz-i nevîn (''Grammar of the Persian language according to the new method''), Istanbul, 1871. #Ihtiraat ve kessfiyyat (''Inventions and Discoveries''), Istanbul, 1881. #Fusuli erbea (''Four Seasons''), Istanbul, 1884. #Tahayyülat (''Dreams''), Istanbul, 1884. #Bagëti e Bujqësi (''Herds and Crops''), Bucharest, 1886. #E këndimit çunavet (''Reader for Boys''), Bucharest, 1886. #Istori e përgjithshme për mësonjëtoret të para (''General history for the first grades''), Bucharest, 1886. #Vjersha për mësonjëtoret të para (''Poetry for the first grades''), Bucharest, 1886. #Dituritë për mësonjëtoret të para (General knowledge for the first grades), Bucharest, 1886. #O alithis pothos ton Skypetaron (''The True Desire of Albanians'', ), Bucharest, 1886. #Luletë e Verësë (''Flowers of the Summer''), Bucharest, 1890. #Mësime (''Lessons''), Bucharest, 1894. #Parajsa dhe fjala fluturake (''Paradise and the Flying Word''), Bucharest, 1894. #Gjithësia (''Omneity''), Bucharest, 1895. #Fletore e bektashinjët (''The Bektashi Notebook''), Bucharest, 1895. #O eros (''Love'', ), Istanbul, 1895. #Iliadh' e Omirit, (''Homer's Iliad''), Bucharest, 1896. #Histori e Skënderbeut (''History of Skanderbeg''), Bucharest, 1898. #Qerbelaja (''Qerbela''), Bucharest, 1898. #Istori e Shqipërisë (''History of Albania''), Sofia, 1899. #Shqipëria (''Albania''), Sofia, 1902.

Legacy

The prime representative of

Romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

, Frashëri is considered by many to be the most distinguished Albanian poet of the Albanian Renaissance whose

poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

continued to have a tremendous influence on the literature and society of the

in the 20th century. He is also widely regarded as the

and is celebrated as such among the Albanian people in

Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

North Macedonia North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...

and other Albanian-inhabited lands in the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

. After his death, Frashëri became a great source of inspiration and a guiding light for the Albanian writers and intellectuals of the 20th century amongst them Asdreni, Gjergj Fishta, Mitrush Kuteli and Lasgush Poradeci. His great work such as ''Bagëti e Bujqësi'', ''Gjuha Jonë'' and ''Feja'' promoted national unity, consciousness, and tolerance in the breasts of his countrymen an enthusiasm for the culture and history of their ancestors. Albanians of the

faith were in particular influenced and motivated by his work. Himself a Bektashi, he desired purity of the

Albanian language Albanian (Endonym and exonym, endonym: , , or ) is an Indo-European languages, Indo-European language and the only surviving representative of the Albanoid, Albanoid branch, which belongs to the Paleo-Balkan languages, Paleo-Balkan group. It ...

and had attempted in his lifetime to Albanianise hierarchical terms of the order in his work ''Fletore e Bektashinjët'' which called for an Albanian Bektashism. His poem ''Bagëti e Bujqësi'' celebrated the natural beauty of Albania and the simple life of Albanian people while expressing gratitude that Albania had bestowed upon him "the name Albanian". In ''Istori' e Skënderbeut'', he celebrated his love for Albania by referring to the medieval battles between the Albanians and

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

while highlighting Skenderbeg's Albanian origins and his successful fight for liberation. In ''Gjuha Jonë'', he called for fellow Albanians to honour their nation and write in Albanian while in another poem ''Feja'', he pleaded with Albanians not make religious distinctions among themselves as they all were of one origin that speak Albanian. Numerous organizations,

monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

s, schools, and streets had been founded and dedicated to his memory throughout Albania, Kosovo as well as to a lesser extent in North Macedonia and

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

. His family's house, where he was born and raised, in Frashër of

Gjirokastër County Gjirokastër County () is one of the 12 counties of Albania. The total population in 2023 was 60,013, in an area of 2884 km2. Its capital is the city Gjirokastër. Administrative divisions Until 2000, Gjirokastër County was subdivided into thre ...

is today a museum and was declared a monument of important cultural heritage. It houses numerous artefacts including handwritten manuscripts, portraits, clothing and the busts of him and his brothers Abdyl and

. Frashëri's portrait is depicted on the

obverse The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' ...

s of the 500 lek

banknote A banknote or bank notealso called a bill (North American English) or simply a noteis a type of paper money that is made and distributed ("issued") by a bank of issue, payable to the bearer on demand. Banknotes were originally issued by commerc ...

from 1992 to 1996 and since 1996 on the 200 lekë banknote. On the reverse side of the bill is a picture of his family house in Frashër. The Albanian nation has established an

order of merit The Order of Merit () is an order of merit for the Commonwealth realms, recognising distinguished service in the armed forces, science, art, literature, or the promotion of culture. Established in 1902 by Edward VII, admission into the order r ...

that bears his name which was awarded to, amongst others, the Albanian nun and missionary

Mother Teresa Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu (born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, ; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa or Saint Mother Teresa, was an Albanian-Indian Catholic Church, Roman Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of ...

Gallery

File:ALB0036ar.jpg, Frashëri (up right) on the reverse of a 1964 10 Lekë banknote File:ALB0057ao.jpg, Frashëri on the obverse of a 1994 500 Lekë banknote File:ALB0071-2012o.jpg, Frashëri on the obverse of a 2012 200 Lekë banknote File:Albania-200.jpg, Frashëri on the obverse of 2017 200 Lekë

polymer A polymer () is a chemical substance, substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeat unit, repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their br ...

banknote

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Frasheri, Naim 1846 births 1900 deaths 19th-century Albanian poets Albanian Sufis Activists of the Albanian National Awakening Muslim poets Politicians from the Ottoman Empire Romantic poets Zosimaia School alumni People from Gjirokastër County Bektashi Order Sufi poets 19th-century civil servants from the Ottoman Empire Albanian people from the Ottoman Empire Albanian-language poets Albanian male poets 19th-century Albanian historians Modern Greek-language writers Turkish-language writers 19th-century Albanian translators French–Albanian translators Persian–Albanian translators 19th-century Albanian male writers Naim Naim Albanian Arabic-language poets Arabic-language poets from the Ottoman Empire Translators of the Quran into Albanian Albanian Persian-language writers