The International Conference “Ali Pasha Tepelena, Albanian Great Statesman”

Tirana, 28 September 2009

From the cooperation of the Albanian Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (AIITC) with the U.F.O. University, with the Center of Albanological Studies and with the Albanian Byron Association, it was organized on 28 September, an International  Scientific Conference about the figure of Ali Pasha Tepelena.  Albanian and foreign historians exposed their views on this outstanding personality of Albania.  

        "Ali Pasha Tepelena, an Albanian Great Statesman", was the title of the First International Conference, held in the conference-hall of the U.F.O. University in Tirana, on 28 September 2009. This conference was organized with the cooperation of the Albanian Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization (AIITC), of the U.F.O. University, of the Center of Albanological Studies and of the Albanian Byron Association.

         The speakers in this event were among the best known names of Albanian and foreign science, who conveyed interesting facts and unknown sides of the grandiosity of the figure of Ali Pasha Tepelena. The researchers referred on specified aspects of this Albanian historic figure and stated views not dealt with before.

          The conference was opened by the researcher and politician Sabri Godo, who thanked the participants and valued with positive tones the organization of this activity. He made a short synthesis about the figure of Ali Pasha Tepelena, about whom he has widely studied in his book "Ali Pasha Tepelena", a book which is published twice, in improved variants.  

         Then the conference was greeted by the director of the Center of Albanological Studies Ardian Marashi, the researcher Irakli Koçollari, and the initiator for the organization of this conference, Prof. Dr. Afrim Karagjozi.

        The conference was developed in three main sessions and there were many discussions and arguments concerning specific issues, mainly about the contradictory publications about the figure of Ali Pasha Tepelena. The reporters of the first session were: the Russian researcher Prof. Gregory Arsh, Prof. Dr. Irakli Koçollari and Dr. Ramiz Zekaj.

         In his speech, the director of AIITC, Dr. Ramiz Zekaj, brought untold facts on the viewpoint of Arab and Ottoman literature about this figure. His paper entitled: "Life and Work of Ali Pasha Tepelena and the History of the Patriarchy (Pashallëk) of Janine according to Ottoman-Arabic documentary sources" roused much interest among the audience.

         He emphasised in his discourse that "Observed from the position of the historian, Ali turns out to be a personality who built and ran for about 35 years a large, well-organised Albanian state, and assured calm conditions in a good part of the Balkan region. Observed from the eye of a writer and a traveller, Ali Pasha is presented as an interesting and almost fabulous character. In this paper, but I think most in this conference, it is aimed to treat and estimate Ali Pasha in a more real way than it has been done until now, as a personality that left traces in the history of Albania and in the world one. This issue will be, in the future, part of a historical review process, as an effort and desire of researchers and specialists to give the merits and the proper place to him as one of the most famous and interesting characters of the XIX-th century in the history of the Balkans.

           In the other sessions spoke also Albanian contemporaneous researchers, such as: Dorian Koci, Dritan Egro, Gjin Varfi, Shkëlzen Raça and the Turkish rsearcher Nuray Bozbora.

          Ali Pasha Tepelena is not only a character of the history, but also of artistic books of foreign authors. The truth is that since his contemporaries until nowadays, Ali Pasha has attracted more the attention of foreign researchers, historians and travelers than of the Albanian ones. But now it is another phenomenon: the writings, studies and books of the Albanian authors are more numerous and are more perfect, more scientific, more complete and more real. Besides the books of Sabri Godo, Ilir Ushtelenca, Irakli Koçollari, etc., the publishing houses are providing a series of translations in Albanian language, which are completing the gap through years.

The organization of this scientific conference opened a new page in the light of the viewpoint of Albanian science on the figure of the great statesman Ali Pasha Tepelena.