TIRANA, July 3 – Albania marks the 145th anniversary of the death of Hasan Tahsini, one of the most distinguished figures of the Albanian National Awakening.
Born in the village of Ninat near Konispol, Tahsini completed his early studies in Istanbul. He later taught at an Ottoman school in Paris, where he also studied mathematics and natural sciences at the University of Paris.
In 1870, Tahsini became the first rector of the newly established Istanbul University. There he lectured in physics, astronomy, and psychology.
Meanwhile, Tahsini produced several influential scientific works. He wrote the first psychology treatise in Ottoman Turkish, Psychology or the Science of the Soul, and authored the first book on modern astronomy in Ottoman Turkish, widely regarded as the language’s first popular science publication.
His efforts to reconcile religious belief with scientific thought sparked opposition from the Ottoman religious establishment. Authorities subsequently removed him from Istanbul University and barred him from teaching.
Beyond academia, Tahsini helped found the Central Committee for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation. He also worked closely with Sami Frashëri to develop an Albanian alphabet and even designed one of his own. Historians regard Tahsini as one of the Ottoman Empire’s foremost intellectuals of the 19th century.
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