CULTURAL-SCIENTIFIC MAGAZINE
FOR ORIENTAL STUDIES
PUBLISHED BY:
“ALBANIAN CENTER FOR ORIENTAL STUDIES”
attend:
Albanology
Balkanology
Orientalism
Architecture
Archivism
Civilization
History
Philosophy
Linguistics
Literature
Moral
Art
Science
Culture
Notable Personalities
Sociology, etc.
Special issue about the Arnaouts (Albanians) living in the Orient.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Huseyin ABIVA
Islam in Albania
2. Dr. Edward SAID
The treason of the intellectuals
1. Arnaouts (The Albanians living in the Arab-Islamic world) and their origin
2. The scholar Shaikh Albani and Abd al-Kadr Arnaout
3. Abd al-Lateef ARNAOUT
4. Aisha ARNAOUT
5. Ghina ARNAOUT
Nadim ARNAOUT
6. Nuha ARNAOUT
Jordan - A country to discover
7. Dr. Muhammad M. ARNAOUT
8. Dr. Muhammad ARNAOUT
Imam Vehbi Ismaili
9. Dr. Muhammad ARNAOUT
Ivo Andriç and the young Umar Pasha
10. Dr. Muhammad ARNAOUT
Sayings among Persian, Albanian and Arabic language
11. Nehat ISLAMI
Albanians in the liberation war of Syria
THE ARNAOUTS (ALBANIANS) IN OTTOMAN EMPIRE
1. Dr. Dritan EGRO
Arnaouts in the Ottoman Empire
2. Ledian CIKALLESHI
Hasan Tahsin - The Albanian scientist, philosopher and patriot in the Ottoman Empire
3. Ledian CIKALLESHI
Mehmed Akif Ersoy - The Albanian who wrote the Turkish national anthem
THE ARNAOUTS (ALBANIANS) IN BOSNIA AND HERCEGOVINA
1. Elvedina ARNAUT
The Arnaouts (Albanians) in Bosnia and Hercegovina
ABSTRACTS OF PUBLISHED ARTICLES ABOUT THE ARNAOUTS (ALBANIANS) LIVING IN THË ORIENT (Wrote by Ali Olloni)
1. The Albanian woman and the Palestinian man
2. Today I am just a poet
3. Clots from the exile life
4. Azize Maxhari and the gravestone
5. “When you lost your tongue - you will lose your home”
6. The poet of the railway
7. The spiritual storms in Arab countries
8. Attempts to open an Albanian club
9. Puna-mamurë, dembelia-harabë
10. How do the Albanian women live and think in Syria
11. The grandfather and his grandson
12. The ambassador of the Albanian culture to Arabs
13. The tears from the “Chekhov” of the Arabs
INTERVIEWS
1. Exclusive interview with our compatriot in Cairo-Egypt, Mr. Amer Bektashi
2. An interview with the Imam Wahbi Sulaiman Gavotchi, Damascus-Syria
ORIENTAL POEMS
1. Nuha ARNAOUT
Flagrant roses
2. Barakat Latif ARNAOUT
The poem of the emigrant ones
Reportage
A jorney to his ancestry country
Photos
New publications
Summary (in English)
Invitation to collaborate
Published by:
"ALBANIAN CENTER FOR ORIENTAL STUDIES"
P.O.Box 8203
Tirana-Albania
www.acfos-albania.org
E-mail: uramagazine@gmail.com
SUMMARY
Many of us have heard about the Arnauts (Arnaouts), or the Albanians who live in the Orient from centuries ago, but, unfortunately, very few of us are informed about them, their life and traditions, their social influence in the countries in which they live, or their contributions to those countries.
The term Arnaut or Arnaout was used for the first time during the times of the Ottoman Empire, when Albanians were known as Arnaut while Albania was called Arnautluk.
There are different claims as to the origin of the word Arnaut, but it would take a separate article to discuss about this matter.
The use of the term Arnaut to identify the Albanian origin of people living in the lands of the Orient increased significantly after the weakening and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, when, inspired by rising nationalism, the different nations under this empire began forming their own states based on ethnicity or religion. During this time, the Albanian Muslims in these lands, who were not included within the new Albanian state, started taking on the name Arnaut to demonstrate their Albanian origin.
It is interesting to note that, besides the Albanian Muslims (who comprised the majority of the Albanian people), this name was also adopted by Albanian Christians, mostly Catholics, to show their Albanian origins. For example, besides the Muslims of Albanian background who are found in great numbers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia etc., entire Christian families of Albanian origin can still be found, primarily in Lebanon, where their history began with the appointment of Albanian Catholic Vaso Pasha by the Ottoman Empire as governor of Lebanon. Vaso Pasha brought with him Albanian Christian families who decided to live in Lebanon and who, to this day, carry the surname Arnaut (Arnaouts) with great respect as an indicator of their Albanian origins. According to latest research, we have also encountered several Orthodox Christian families who live in Ukraine and carry the surname Arnaut.
While most of the Albanians who live in the Orient carry the last name Arnaout as the identifier of their Albanian nationality, many other families in the Arab countries and in Turkey carry other surnames, many of which are names of places in Albania or names of well-known Albanian families. Here we can mention the al-Albani family in Jordan, from which the famous Muslim scholar Nasiruddin al-Albani came forth (from Shkodra), the other famous Muslim scholar Wahbi Sulaiman Gavotchi (in Albanian, Vehbi Sulejman Gavoçi) (also from Shkodra) etc. Among the families that carry a last name related to their place of origin is the large Shkodra family in Lebanon.
Among the most well-known Arnaut (Albanians) in the oriental world we can note: Muslim scholars Abd al-Kadr Arnaout (Abdulkadër Arnauti) and Shuayb Arnaout (Shuajb Arnauti), the famous writers Ma’ruf Arnaout (Mar’uf Arnauti) and Dr. Abd al-Lateef Arnaout (Abdulatif Arnauti), the famous writer and historian Dr. Muhammad M. Arnaout (Muhamed Mufaku-Arnauti), the writer and poet Aisha Arnaout (Aishe Arnauti), the activist for opening lay schools in Lebanon Nadim Arnaout (Nadim Arnauti), the famous actor from Damascus Yasin Arnaut (Jasin Arnauti), the writer and teacher Shawkat Gavotchi (Shefqet Gavoçi) etc.
In addition, most of the Albanians who live in the Orient are well-educated, have finished advanced studies, and hold high positions in the societies in which they live.
In this context, by taking into consideration the importance and great role that Albanians (Arnaouts) have played and still play in the oriental countries, the editorial board of the Cultural-Scientific Magazine for Oriental Studies “URA” decided to dedicate this exclusive issue to them, the Arnaouts.
In this regard, we can’t afford no to thank those that have contributed with their strong efforts and passion into the realization of this issue. They are: the Arnaout authors of exclusive articles for this issue of the magazine, Nuha Arnaout, Ghina Arnaout, and Elvedina Arnaut; other authors who contributed with exclusive articles for this issue, Dr. Dritan Egro and Ledian Cikalleshi; translators Rezarta Saliaj, Suela Dibra, Armir Taraj, and Ardita Kovaçi; the interviewer from Cairo Indrit Lita, and many others who supported us in different ways.
May God reward you all. Amin!
Respectfully,
The editorial board of the Cultural-Scientific Magazine “URA”.
Tirana-Albania
Translated from Albanian:
Armir TARAJ