TIRANA, June 1 – Enlightenment thinker and ideologue of the Albanian National Awakening Sami Frashëri was born on June 1, 1850 in Frashër, Përmet.
He completed his early education in his hometown. He later studied at the “Zosimea” gymnasium in Ioannina. There, he learned several foreign languages, including Ancient Greek, Latin, French and Italian.
Meanwhile, in 1872 he moved to Istanbul. He worked there as a journalist, writer and scholar. He combined intellectual activity with commitment to the Albanian national cause. He co-founded the Central Committee for the Defence of the Rights of the Albanian Nation. He also helped lead the Society for the Printing of Albanian Letters in 1879.
His most important work is “Albania: What it has been, what it is and what it will be”, published in 1899 in Bucharest. In this work, he presented his democratic ideas on political and social development. He also promoted education, culture and science.
In addition, Frashëri published 57 works in several languages. He also built a personal library of around 20,000 volumes. These achievements place him among the most important Albanian encyclopaedists.
Later, Ottoman authorities restricted his activity due to his support for the Albanian national movement. However, he continued his intellectual work, which influenced the path towards independence.
Sami Frashëri died in Istanbul in 1904.
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