Ciprian Porumbescu was a Romanian composer born in Șipotele Sucevei in Bucovina. He was among the most celebrated Romanian composers of his time; his popular works include Crai nou, Song of the Tricolour, Song for Spring, Ballad for violin and piano, and Serenada. In addition, he composed the music for the Romanian patriotic "Song of Unity", also known as "Pe-al nostru steag e scris Unire", which was Romania's anthem from 1975 to 1977 and is currently used for Albania's national anthem, "Himni i Flamurit". His work spreads over various forms and musical genres, but the majority of his work is choral and operetta.
The coat of arms of Albania is an adaptation of the flag of Albania and is based on the symbols of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg. It features the black double-headed eagle, documented in official use since 1458, as evidenced from a sealed document uncovered in the Vatican Secret Archive, addressed to Pope Pius II and co-sealed by notary Johannes Borcius de Grillis. The stylized gold helmet is partially based on the model of crown-like rank that once belonged to Skanderbeg, currently on display at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, first mentioned in 1593 in the Ambras armory inventory and depicted in 1601/03 in the "Armamentarium Heroicum" of Jakob Schrenck von Notzing. The ruler of Austria, Ferdinand II, acquired the helmet from the Duke of Urbino, so mentioned in a letter sent to him from the duke, dated 15 October 1578.
Ballaban Badera was an Ottoman military officer from Albania. A conscript of the Devshirme child soldier system, he became a Pasha. Ballaban Badera was said to be the first one who climbed the walls of Constantinople during its siege. He held the position of sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Ohrid in 1464 and 1465.
Marie Logoreci was an Albanian actress. She started her career as a singer in Radio Tirana (1945), before making her breakthrough appearance as an actress in the film The Great Warrior Skanderbeg (1953). With all the successful performances made in film, she remained a great actress of the Albanian cinema and icon of the Albanian National Theater. For her contributions she has received honorary titles People's Artist of Albania (1975) and Honor of Nation Order (2015).
Gollak or Gallap is a mountainous and ethnographic region in the eastern part of Kosovo and partially in Serbia, bordering the Llap region to the North, the Kosovo field to the west, the Anamorava valley to the south and straddling along the border with Serbia. The cities of Pristina and Gjilan in Kosovo are located by the mountains. The highest peak, Bjeshka e Artanës, has an elevation of 1260 meters 1,260 m (4,134 ft) above sea level. Gollak itself is split into Upper Gollak and Lower Gollak.
The Albanian Declaration of Independence was the declaration of independence of Albania from the Ottoman Empire. Independent Albania was proclaimed in Vlorë on 28 November 1912. Six days later the Assembly of Vlorë formed the first Government of Albania which was led by Ismail Qemali and the Council of Elders (Pleqnia).
Spiridon Ilo was one of the founding fathers of Albania as a signatory of the Albanian Declaration of Independence.
Arbanon was a medieval principality in present-day Albania, ruled by the native Progoni family, and the first Albanian state to emerge in recorded history. The principality was established in 1190 by the Albanian archon Progon in the region surrounding Kruja, to the east and northeast of Venetian territories. Progon was succeeded by his sons Gjin and then Demetrius (Dhimitër), who managed to retain a considerable degree of autonomy from the Byzantine Empire. In 1204, Arbanon attained full, though temporary, political independence, taking advantage of the weakening of Constantinople following its pillage during the Fourth Crusade. However, Arbanon lost its large autonomy ca. 1216, when the ruler of Epirus, Michael I Komnenos Doukas, started an invasion northward into Albania and Macedonia, taking Kruja and ending the independence of the principality. From this year, after the death of Demetrius, the last ruler of the Progoni family, Arbanon was successively controlled by the Despotate of Epirus, then by the Bulgarian Empire and, from 1235, by the Empire of Nicaea.
Zef Jubani or Giuseppe Jubany in Italian was an Albanian folklorist and activist of the Albanian National Awakening. He is known for the publication of a Collection of Albanian Folk Songs and Rhapsodies in the Gheg Albanian dialect. Jubani advocated the creation of a unique alphabet of the Albanian language. For his political activities, which often were anti-clericalist, Jubani was denounced to the Holy See by the Jesuit missionaries of Shkodër.
Boboshticë is a village in the former Drenovë Municipality of the Korçë County in southeastern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Korçë.
The Congress of Dibër was a congress held by members of Albanian committee in Debar from July 23 to July 29, 1909. The congress was chaired by Vehbi Dibra, Grand Mufti of the Sanjak of Dibra and was sponsored by the government of the Young Turks. It was held on the first anniversary of the Young Turk Revolution and was a countermeasure on the Latin script based Albanian alphabet which came out of the Congress of Manastir.
Constantine of Berat, known among Albanians as Kostandin Jermonak Berati or shortly Kostë Berati, was an Albanian writer and translator of the 18th century.
Loni Logori (1871–1929) was an Albanian-Egyptian entrepreneur, poet and activist of the Albanian National Awakening.
Marenglen Verli is an Albanian historian and scholar. Since 2009, he is a member of the Academy of Sciences of Albania.
"Pe-al nostru steag e scris Unire" is a Romanian patriotic song dedicated to the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia established in 1859. The text was written by Andrei Bârseanu and the music was composed by Ciprian Porumbescu in 1880. Its tune is now used in the Albanian national anthem. The anthem of the Dutch city of Maastricht bears considerable similarity to it, though it is unknown if Guus Olterdissen or his brother, Alfons, knew the tune.
The Order of the Flag was an honorary award given to citizens, collectives, factories, administrative divisions, institutions and organizations in the People's Socialist Republic of Albania.
Theodhor Haxhifilipi, also known as Dhaskal Todhri, was a teacher from Elbasan, who is credited as an inventor of an original Albanian alphabet. The Todhri script, as is called because of him, according to Kostandin Kristoforidhi, was either invented by Theodor, or brought by him from Voskopojë. Theodhor is the author of numerous translations of liturgical works in Albanian, of which only a few survived. A mass of John Chrysostom, preserved in a later manuscript of 32 pages, is amongst the rare ones kept at the National Library of Albania.
Botushë is a village in the municipality of Gjakova, District of Gjakova, southwest Kosovo. It is located near the border with Albania and is part of the Highlands of Gjakova. It is inhabited exclusively by Albanians.
Veli Musa Dedi was an Albanian general, notable for serving as the Technical Director of the Albanian People's Army and commanding the garrison of Tirana. He played a significant role in the Spanish Civil War and served in France during World War II, notably participating in the Battle of Marseille in 1944.
