This is a list of historical and living Albanians who are famous or notable, sorted by occupation and alphabetically.
The Culture of Albania is a term that embodies the artistic, culinary, literary, musical, political and social elements that are representative of Albania and Albanians. Albanian culture has been considerably shaped by the geography and history of Albania. It grew from that of the Illyrians, with their pagan beliefs and specific way of life in the wooded areas of far Southern Europe. Albanian culture has also been influenced by the Ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans.
Prince Wilhelm of Wied, reigned briefly as sovereign of the Principality of Albania as Vilhelm I from 7 March to 3 September 1914, when he left for exile. His reign officially came to an end on 31 January 1925, when the country was declared an Albanian Republic.
Essad Pasha Toptani or Esad Pasha Toptani, mainly known as Essad Pasha, was an Ottoman army officer who served as the Albanian deputy in the Ottoman Parliament. He was a prominent politician in early 20th-century Albania. Toptani cooperated with the Balkan League after the Balkan Wars and established a state in central Albania, based in Durrës, called the Republic of Central Albania.
Ismail Kadare is an Albanian novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter, and playwright. He is a leading international literary figure and intellectual. He focused on poetry until the publication of his first novel, The General of the Dead Army, which made him famous internationally.
Masiela Lusha is an Albanian-born American actress, author and humanitarian. Lusha gained recognition for playing Carmen Lopez on the globally syndicated ABC sitcom George Lopez, a role that earned her two consecutive Young Artist Awards for Leading Young Actress in a Comedy or Drama. After transitioning into film, she starred in Sony Pictures’ Blood: The Last Vampire. Lusha also starred alongside David Hasselhoff and Ian Ziering in SyFy's television movie Sharknado: The 4th Awakens.
Albanian literature stretches back to the Middle Ages and comprises those literary texts and works written in Albanian. It may also refer to literature written by Albanians in Albania, Kosovo and the Albanian diaspora particularly in Italy. Albanian occupies an independent branch within the Indo-European family and does not have any other closely related language. The origin of Albanian is not entirely known, but it may be a successor of the ancient Illyrian language.
In the traditional Albanian culture, Gjakmarrja or hakmarrja ("revenge") is the social obligation to kill an offender or a member of their family in order to salvage one's honor. This practice is generally seen as in line with the social code known as the Canon of Lekë Dukagjini or simply the Kanun. The code was originally a "a non-religious code that was used by Muslims and Christians alike."
Bilal Xhaferri was an Albanian writer and political dissident against the Albanian communist regime. He is seen as the representative poet of the Albanian Chameria.
Xhemal Deliallisi was a prominent figure of the 19th century in the Shijak area of Albania. He was one of 40 signatories of the Albanian Declaration of Independence alongside his cousin Ymer Deliallisi. His tribe was one of the most influential in the area of central Albania where is his father, Sali bey Deliallisi, is thought to have been the founder of the modern city of Shijak.
Blerim Destani is an Albanian actor and producer. He is best known for his roles in Time of the Comet and Dossier K.
The Arm of Gendarmerie was a gendarmerie force created after the proclamation of independence from the Ottoman Empire of Albania on 28 November 1912.
Aqif Pasha Biçaku mostly known as Aqif Pashë Elbasani was an Ottoman Albanian political figure in the Sanjak of Elbasan and after the Young Turk Revolution became an activist for the Albanian national cause.
Pristina has only 3 active theatres National Theatre of Kosova, ODA Theatre and DODONA Theatre. They give live performances every week. There are 21 well-known Kosovan actors employed. They are located in the heart of Pristina. National Theatre is placed in the middle downtown of the city, near the main government building. ODA Theatre is placed in the Youth Centre Building, and Dodona Theatre is placed in Vellusha district, which is near Ibrahim Rugova Square.
Amsterdam Express is an Albanian drama film directed by Fatmir Koçi.
Xhevdet Shabani is a Kosovo Albanian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kosovan club FC Prishtina. He is nicknamed as "Rrapa".
Çun Lajçi, or Çun Dreli, is an Albanian musician, author, theater actor, film actor, drama teacher and activist. He is famous for reciting poems to girlsThe Highland Lute. He is also a lahuta player. Lajci has played over 200 roles and has been in 30 movies. He has been nominated twice as best actor in Serbia in the theater organization "Joakim Vujiq". He received the prize "Naim Frasheri" from the Albanian presidency. He has released two books, "Zjarr in Pashuar" and "Fake Noses in Behet vonë".
Majlinda Nana Rama is an Albanian pedagogue, writer and researcher. She is considered the most prominent representative of her literary generation and one of the honored names of today's Albanian literature. She has written poetry, essays, scientific articles, studies, literary criticism, novels, short stories, etc. She is a lecturer at the University of Arts, Tirana.
The Taksim meeting alternatively known as the Taksim Plot and less commonly as the Taksim Assembly was a secret meeting held in January 1912 by Albanian nationalist deputies of the Ottoman parliament and other prominent Albanian political figures. The meeting was organized on the initiative of Hasan Prishtina and Ismail Qemali, who invited most of the MPs of Albanian origin and aimed at launching an armed general uprising in Albanian territories against the central government headed by the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP). The meeting followed two other Albanian uprisings of 1910 in the Vilayet of Kosovo and 1911 in the mountains of upper Shkodra. Although not to the extent expected by its organizers, the Taksim meeting resulted in the uprising of the same year with armed insurrections in Shkodër, Lezhë, Mirditë, Krujë and other Albanian provinces. It achieved its biggest goals was in Kosovo where the rebels were more organized and managed to take over important cities such as Prizren, Peja, Gjakova, Mitrovica and other.
