Editing Culture of Albania

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[[File:Sofra Dardane - Bajram Curr.JPG|thumb|Albanian women dressed in [[folk costume|traditional costumes]] at the Sofra Dardane festival in [[Bajram Curri]]]]
[[File:National Museum Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu.jpg|thumb|[[Skanderbeg Museum|National History Museum]] in [[Krujë]]]]
{{Culture of Albania}}
{{Lead too long|date=September 2024}}
'''Albanian culture''' or the '''culture of Albanians''' ({{Langx|sq|kultura shqiptare}} {{IPA|sq|kultuˈɾa ʃcipˈtaɾɛ|}}) is a term that embodies the [[Albanian art|artistic]], [[Albanian cuisine|culinary]], [[Albanian literature|literary]], [[Music of Albania|musical]], [[Politics of Albania|political]] and [[Traditions of Albania|social elements]] that are representative of ethnic [[Albanians]], which implies not just Albanians of the country of Albania but also Albanians of Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegro, where ethnic Albanians are a native population. Albanian culture has been considerably shaped by the [[Geography of Albania|geography]] and history of [[Albania]], [[Kosovo]], parts of [[Montenegro]], parts of [[North Macedonia]], and parts of Northern [[Greece]], traditional homeland of Albanians. It evolved since ancient times in the western Balkans, with its peculiar [[Albanian language|language]], [[Albanian paganism|pagan beliefs and practices]], [[Albanian tribes|way of life]] and [[Traditions of Albania|traditions]]. Albanian culture has also been influenced by the [[Ancient Greeks]], [[Ancient Rome|Romans]], [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]] and [[Ottoman Turks|Ottomans]].

The name 'Albanian' derived from the [[Illyrian tribe]] of the [[Albanoi]] and their capital in [[Albanopolis]] that was noted by [[Ptolemy]] in [[ancient times]].<ref>Lloshi 1999, p. 277. "The Albanians of today call themselves shqiptarë, their country Shqipëri, and their language shqipe. These terms came into use between the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th centuries. Foreigners call them albanesi (Italian), Albaner (German), Albanians (English), Alvanos (Greek), and Arbanasi (old Serbian), the country Albania, Albanie, Albanien, Alvania, and Albanija, and the language Albanese, Albanisch, Albanian, Alvaniki, and Arbanashki respectively. All these words are derived from the name Albanoi of an Illyrian tribe and their center Albanopolis, noted by the astronomer of Alexandria, Ptolemy, in the 2nd century AD. Alban could he a plural of alb- arb-, denoting the inhabitants of the plains.</ref><ref>Malcolm 1998, p. 29. "Nor is there any mystery about the origin of this name. In the second century Ptolemy referred to a tribe called the 'Albanoi', and located their town, 'Albanopolis', somewhere to the east of Durres."</ref><ref>Mëniku & Campos 2012, p. 2. "Albanian is an Indo-European language, but like modern Greek and Armenian, it does not have any other closely related living language. Within the Indo-European family, it forms a group of its own. In Albanian, the language is called shqip. Albania is called Shqipëri, and the Albanians call themselves shqiptarë. Until the fifteenth century the language was known as Arbërisht or Arbnisht, which is still the name used for the language in Italy and Greece. The Greeks refer to all the varieties of Albanian spoken in Greece as Arvanitika. In the second century AD, Ptolemy, the Alexandrian mathematician, astronomer and geographer, used the name Albanoi to refer to an Illyrian tribe that used to live in what is now central Albania. During the Middle Ages the population of that area was referred to as Arbanori or Albanon. It is clear that the words Arbëresh, Arvanitika, and even Albanian and Albania are all related to the older name of the language."</ref><ref>Ramadan Marmullaku - 1975, ''Albania and the Albanians'' - Page 5</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Land of Eagles: Riding Through Europe's Forgotten Country|date=30 June 2014|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=9781780765020|page=17|edition=Robin Hanbury-Tenison|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Op3wAwAAQBAJ&pg=PR17 }}</ref> Previously, Albanians called their country ''Arbëri'' or ''Arbëni'' and referred to themselves as [[Names of the Albanians and Albania#Arbënesh/Arbëresh (Albanian)|''Arbëreshë'' or ''Arbëneshë'']] until the sixteenth century as the [[toponym]] ''Shqipëria'' or ''Shqypnia'' and the [[endonym]] [[Shqiptar|''Shqiptarë'' or ''Shqyptarë'']] gradually replaced ''Arbëria'' and ''Arbëresh''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pinocacozza.it/|title=www.pinocacozza.it|website=www.pinocacozza.it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.radio-arberesh.eu/|title=Radio-Arberesh.eu|author=Casanova|access-date=13 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100402063902/http://www.radio-arberesh.eu/|archive-date=2 April 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Kristo Frasheri. ''History of Albania (A Brief Overview)''. Tirana, 1964.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://mirror.undp.org/albania/download/pdf/albanian.pdf|title=The Albanian Language|last=Lloshi|first=Xhevat|publisher=United Nations Development Programme|access-date=9 November 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709114947/http://mirror.undp.org/albania/download/pdf/albanian.pdf|archive-date=9 July 2011}}</ref> The terms ''Shqipëria'' and ''Shqiptarë'' are popularly interpreted respectively as the "Land of Eagles" and "Children of Eagles" / "Eagle-Men".

The [[double-headed eagle]] is the national and ethnic symbol of all [[Albanian language|Albanian-speaking]] people. The symbol appears in a stone carving dating from the tenth century as the [[Principality of Arbanon]] was established. It is also documented to have been used as a heraldic [[National symbols of Albania|symbol]] by numerous [[Albanian principalities|noble families]] in Albania in the Middle Ages. The double-headed eagle appears as a symbol for bravery, valor, freedom and heroism. The symbol is widely used in Albanian traditional art, including jewellery, embroidery, and house carving.

[[Albanians]] can be [[culturally]] and [[linguistically]] separated into two subgroups: the northern [[Gheg Albanian|Ghegs]] and the southern [[Tosk Albanian|Tosks]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Tribes of Albania,: History, Society and Culture|date=24 April 2015|publisher=I.B.Tauris, 2015|isbn=9780857739322|page=2|edition=Robert Elsie|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i2IpDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA2 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Robert|last1=Elsie|title=Geographical location|url=http://www.albanianlanguage.net/|website=albanianlanguage|language=en}}</ref> The line of demarcation between both groups, based on dialect, is the [[Shkumbin River]] that crosses Albania from east to west.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Mate Kapovi, Anna Giacalone Ramat, Paolo Ramat|title=The Indo-European Languages - Routledge language family series|date=20 January 2017|publisher=Taylor & Francis, 2017|isbn=9781317391531|page=552|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8i0lDwAAQBAJ&q=shkumbin+river+tosk+gheg&pg=PA552|language=en}}</ref> Outside of Albania, Gheg is mostly spoken by the Albanians of [[Kosovo Albanians|Kosovo]], northwestern [[Albanians in North Macedonia|North Macedonia]], [[Albanians in Montenegro|Montenegro]] and [[Albanians of Croatia|Croatia]] ([[Arbanasi people|Arbanasi]]). On the other hand, Tosk is spoken by the Albanians of [[Albanians in greece|Greece]] ([[Arvanites]], [[Cham Albanians|Chams]]), southwestern [[Albanians in North Macedonia|North Macedonia]] and southern [[Albanians in Italy|Italy]] ([[Arbëreshë people|Arbëreshë]]). The diversity between Ghegs and Tosks can be substantial, both sides identify strongly with the common national and ethnic culture.

Home of [[Muslims]] and [[Christians]], [[religious tolerance]] is one of the most important values of the tradition of the [[Albanian people]]. It is widely accepted, that Albanians are well known about those values, about a peaceful coexistence among the believers of different [[Religion in Albania|religious communities]] in the country.<ref>{{cite web|author1=UNESCO|title=Island of Peace: Documentary on Religious Coexistence in Albania|url=http://www.unesco.org/new/en/member-states/single-view/news/island_of_peace_documentary_on_religious_coexistence_in_alb/|website=unesco.org|access-date=22 July 2011|page=1|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author1=BBC|title=The country that's famous for tolerance|url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20161024-the-worlds-most-tolerant-country|website=bbc.com|page=1|language=en}}</ref> All the aspects of the [[Albanian tribes|Albanian tribal society]] have been directed by the ''[[Kanun (Albania)|Kanun]]'', the Albanian traditional customary law. Orally transmitted across the generations, it reflects many legal practices of great antiquity that find precise echoes in other [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] cultures such as [[Vedic India]] and [[ancient Greece]] and [[Ancient Rome|Rome]].

Thanks to its long [[History of Albania|history]], Albania is home to many valuable monuments such as among others the remains of [[Butrint]], the medieval cities of [[Berat]] and [[Gjirokastër]], the [[Amphitheatre of Durrës|Roman amphitheatre]] of [[Durrës]], the [[Royal Tombs of Selca e Poshtme|Illyrian Tombs]] and [[Fortress of Bashtovë]]. Other examples of important contributions to architecture may be found in [[Apollonia (Illyria)|Apollonia]], [[Byllis]], [[Amantia]], [[Phoenice]], [[Rozafa Castle|Shkodër]] and many others.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/570/|title=Butrint|first=UNESCO World Heritage|last=Centre|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre}}</ref>

Despite being a small country, Albania has [[List of World Heritage Sites in Albania|three site]]s on the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site List]] and [[Albanian iso-polyphony|one]] [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|Intangible Cultural Heritage]] element. The [[Codex Beratinus|Codices of Berat]] are eminently important for the global community and as well the development of ancient [[Biblical]], [[liturgical]] and [[Hagiography|hagiographical]] literature.<ref>{{cite web|author1=UNESCO|author-link=UNESCO|title=MEMORY OF THE WORLD REGISTER NOMINATION FORM Codex Beratinus 1 and 2|url=http://www.unesco.org/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/mow/nomination_forms/Albania+-+Beratinus.pdf|website=unesco.org|language=en}}</ref> Therefore, it was inscribed on the [[UNESCO]]'s [[Memory of the World Register]] in 2005.

== Lifestyle ==

=== Kanun ===
{{Main|Kanun (Albania)|l1=Kanun}}
{{See also|Besa (Albanian culture)|l1=Besa}}

[[File:Theth and Theth National Park, Albania 2017.jpg|210px|thumb|The Kanun is still today applied by [[Gheg Albanian|Gheg]]s in the north of Albania.]]

The [[Kanun (Albania)|Kanun]], a comprehensive compilation of Albanian traditional [[Tradition|custom]]s and cultural practices, was codified by [[Lekë Dukagjini]] in the [[Middle Ages]]. Scholars have conjectured that the Kanun might have derived from [[Illyrians|Illyrian]] tribal laws, while others have suggested that it has retained elements from [[Proto-Indo-Europeans|Indo-European]] [[Prehistory|Prehistoric]] eras.<ref>Dukagjini, L., Gjecov, S., Fox, L. ''Kanuni i Lekë Dukagjinit''. Gjonlekaj Publishing Co., 1989. p. xvi.</ref><ref>{{cite book| last1 = Cancik| first1 = Hubert| last2 = Schneider| first2 = Helmuth| title = Brill's New Pauly Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World. Classical Tradition| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=UqE5SwAACAAJ| year = 2002| publisher = Brill| isbn = 90-04-14221-5| page = 92 }}</ref> The Kanun reflects notably the historic development of Albanians through its turbulent [[History of Albania|history]] and encompasses in a real statute regulating various aspects of life including customs, traditions and wisdom in Albania.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Malmö University|author-link=Malmö University|title=THE KANUN OF LEKË DUKAGJINI AMONG KOSOVAALBANIANS IN SWEDEN|url=http://muep.mau.se/bitstream/handle/2043/13841/Master%20Thesis%20-%20The%20Kanun%20among%20Kosova%20Albanians%20in%20Sweden.pdf|website=muep.mau.se|location=Malmö|language=en}}</ref>

[[Besa (Albanian culture)|Besa]], "to keep the promise", is the Albanian [[Custom (law)|code of honor]] and a major component of Albanian culture.<ref name="Kanun"/> It is among the highest and most important concept of the [[Kanun (Albania)|Kanun]] with a moral and ethic connotation. The term contains the given word or keeping of a promise or obligation and the guaranteed agreement among honorable men.

Most notably, Besa means taking care of those in need and being hospitable to every single person. Albania saved and protected almost 2000 [[Jewish People|Jewish people]] during the [[Holocaust]]. Rather than hiding the Jews in attics or the woods, the Albanians gave them clothes, gave them Albanian names and treated them as part of the family.

{{cquote|There is no trace of any discrimination against [[Jews in Albania]], because [[Albania]] happens to be one of the rare lands in [[Europe]] today where religious prejudice and hate do not exist, even though [[Albanians]] themselves are divided into [[Religion in Albania|three faiths]].<ref>{{cite web|author1=The World Holocaust Remembrance Center|title=Besa: A Code of Honor - Muslim Albanians Who Rescued Jews During the Holocaust|url=http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/exhibitions/besa/index.asp|website=yadvashem.org|language=en}}</ref> - [[Herman Bernstein]]}}

=== Fis (clan) ===
{{Main|Tribes of Albania}}

The traditional Albanian social structure is based on clans ({{langx|sq|fise}}) characterized by a common [[cultur]]e, often common [[ancestry]] and shared [[social ties]]. In past times most of them defended their territory and interests against other clans and external forces.<ref>{{cite book|last=Elsie|first=Robert|title=The Tribes of Albania: History, Society and Culture|page=1|year=2015|publisher=I.B. Tauris|isbn=978-1-78453-401-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-EzWCQAAQBAJ}}</ref>

The Albanian tribal society clearly crystallized in the [[Northern Mountain Range (Albania)|mountains of northern Albania]] and adjacent areas of [[Montenegro]], and it was also present in a less developed system in [[southern Albania]].{{sfn|Elsie|2015|pp=1}} One of the most particular elements of the Albanian tribal structure is its dependence on the ''[[Kanun (Albania)|Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini]]''.<ref>{{cite book|editor-first= William A.|editor-last= Parkinson|last=Galaty|first=Michael L.|title=The Archaeology of Tribal Societies|chapter=Modeling the Formation and Evolution of an Illyrian Tribal System: Ethnographic and Archaeological Analogs|pages=109–121|year=2002|publisher=Berghahn Books|isbn=1789201713|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8TR8DwAAQBAJ}}</ref>

This social structure was inherited from the ancient [[Illyrians]],{{sfn|Galaty|2002|pp=109–121}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Villar|first=Francisco|title=Los indoeuropeos y los orígenes de Europa|language=es|publisher=Gredos|place=Madrid|year=1996|page=316|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d5NbPAAACAAJ|isbn=84-249-1787-1}}</ref> thrived until the early years of the 20th century, and remained largely intact until the rise to power of [[People's Socialist Republic of Albania|communist regime]] in 1944.{{sfn|Elsie|2015|pp=1}}

=== Oda ===
[[File:Gjakove OdaShqiptare.JPG|200px|thumb|A typical ''Oda'']]
{{Main|Oda (Albania)|l1=Oda}}
''Oda'' is a typical large room in an [[Albanians|Albanian]] traditional house used by the host to receive and entertain the guests.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kostovicova|first=Denisa|title=Kosovo: The Politics of Identity and Space|publisher=Routledge|year=2005|isbn=0-415-34806-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L562PiBM6GEC|pages=113–114}}.</ref><ref name=Lanzinger>{{Cite book|last=Lanzinger|first=Margareth|title=Women's Movements: Networks and Debates in Post-communist Countries in the 19th and 20th Centuries|publisher=Böhlau Verlag Köln, Weimar, Wien|year=2006|isbn=3-412-32205-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j7ePIpI9qVgC|page=244}}.</ref> Traditionally, the host and the guests in the ''oda'' are old men and married men. Till the end of the 20th century, woman and young boys were not allowed to enter the room. In the ''oda'', the men talk, take political discussions and sing [[Albanian folk poetry|epic songs]] until late hours. During an ''oda'' "session", historical events and traditions are transmitted orally through discussions and songs.<ref>{{harvnb|Lanzinger|2006|pp=244}}.</ref>

=== Holidays ===
{{Main|Public holidays in Albania}}

[[File:Independence Day Celebrations 01.jpg|210px|thumb|right|[[100th Anniversary of the Independence of Albania|Independence Day]] in Pristina, Kosovo<ref>{{cite web|title=Kosovo celebrates today Albanian Independence Day|url=http://www.gazetaexpress.com/en/news/kosovo-celebrates-today-albanian-independence-day-171519/|website=gazetaexpress.com|location=Pristina|language=en|date=28 November 2016|access-date=11 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212083954/http://www.gazetaexpress.com/en/news/kosovo-celebrates-today-albanian-independence-day-171519/|archive-date=12 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>]]

In consideration to the long and eventful [[history of Albania]], there are several cultural and religious holidays throughout the country. [[Albanians]], either in Albania, [[Kosovo]] and [[Albanian diaspora|other countries]], celebrate their [[Albanian Declaration of Independence|Independence]] and [[Albanian Flag Day|Flag Day]] on November 28. Various ceremonies, festivals and concerts take place to celebrate the historic day in major cities amongst them in [[Tirana]] and [[Pristina]], holding festive and military parades.

[[Christmas]] is celebrated by those following the religion of [[Christianity]]. [[Eid al-Fitr|Bajram]] is considered by Muslims as the holiday of forgiveness, moral victory and peace, fellowship and unity. They sacrifice a sheep for this holiday, giving the meat to their family, friends and to the poor people.

Another [[Paganism|pagan]] holiday is [[Dita e Verës]], particularly popular in [[Elbasan]] and [[Gjirokastër]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Dita e verës, festimet kanë nisur para Krishtit|url=http://shqiptarja.com/news.php?IDNotizia=73804|website=shqiptarja.com|language=sq|date=14 March 2012|access-date=11 February 2018|archive-date=12 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212083616/http://shqiptarja.com/news.php?IDNotizia=73804|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is celebrated on March 14 and is intended to commemorate the end of winter, the rebirth of nature and a rejuvenation of spirit amongst the Albanians. The ritual of the day begins on the previous day with the preparation of sweets such as [[ballokume]] cooked in a wood oven. During the evening ballokume, dried [[Ficus|fig]]s, [[walnut]]s, turkey legs, boiled eggs and simite are distributed to members of the family.

[[List of Teachers' Days|Dita e Mësuesit]] is celebrated on March 7 since 1887 and is regarded by many Albanians as one of the most important holidays of the country. It honors the opening of the first school that taught lessons in [[Albanian language|Albanian]] in [[Korçë]].

=== Cuisine ===
{{Main|Albanian cuisine}}
{{See also|Arbëreshë cuisine|Kosovan cuisine}}
[[File:Oil-1383546 1920.jpg|210px|thumb|right|[[Olive oil]] has been used since ancient times in [[Albanian cuisine|Albanian cooking]].<ref>{{cite web|title=THE OLIVE AND OLIVE OIL VALUE CHAIN IN ALBANIA|url=http://www.eastagri.org/files/Oil-Albania.pdf|website=eastagri.org|pages=38–39|language=en}}</ref>]]
The [[Albanian cuisine]], a representative of the [[Mediterranean cuisine]], has developed through the centuries of social and economic changes and more importantly referable to different factors that stands in close interaction with each other such as the small and mountainous [[Geography of Albania|territory]] of the country with virgin forests, narrow valleys, vast plains and a favourable [[Climate of Albania|climate]] that offers excellent growth conditions for a variety of [[vegetable]]s, [[herb]]s and [[fruit]]s. 
 
Food is for [[Albanians]] an important component of their culture and is deeply rooted in the [[History of Albania|history]], traditions and values of the country. The cooking traditions of the [[Albanian people]] are diverse and nevertheless [[olive oil]] is the most commonly used [[vegetable fat]] in Albanian cooking, which has been produced since [[Classical antiquity|antiquity]] throughout the country particularly along the coasts.<ref>{{cite web|author1=S. Velo; D. Topi|title=The Production Potential of the Olive Oil from Native Cultivars in Albania|url=http://ijoer.com/Paper-April-2017/IJOER-APR-2017-18.pdf|website=ijoer.com|location=Tirana|language=en}}</ref>

Albanian cuisine uses a variety of ingredients which include a wider availability of vegetables such as [[zucchini]], [[eggplant]], [[Capsicum|pepper]]s, [[tomato]]es, [[cucumber]]s, [[potato]]es, [[cabbage]]s and [[spinach]], as well as [[cereal]]s such as [[wheat]], [[maize|sweetcorn]], [[barley]] and [[rye]]. Herbs and [[spice]]s include [[oregano]], [[Spearmint|mint]], [[garlic]], [[onion]] and [[basil]]. Widely used meat varieties are [[Lamb and mutton|lamb]], [[goat]], [[beef]], [[veal]], [[chicken]] and other [[poultry]]. Considering the direct proximity to the sea, [[seafood]] specialties are particularly popular along the [[Albanian Adriatic Sea Coast|Albanian Adriatic]] and [[Albanian Ionian Sea Coast|Ionian Sea Coast]]s.

[[Hospitality]] is a fundamental [[Norm (social)|custom]] of Albanian society and serving food is an integral to the hosting of guests and visitors. It is not infrequent for visitors to be invited to eat and drink with locals. The medieval Albanian [[Kanun (Albania)|code of honor]], called [[Besa (Albanian culture)|Besa]], resulted to look after guests and strangers as an act of recognition and gratitude.<ref name="Kanun">{{cite journal|first1=Mirjona|last1=Sadiku|title=Page 1 A Tradition of Honor, Hospitality and Blood Feuds:Exploring the Kanun Customary Law inContemporary Albania.|url=http://js.ugd.edu.mk/index.php/BSSR/article/view/861/833|journal=Balkan Social Science Review|date=10 July 2014 |volume=3 |pages=11–14|language=en|format=PDF}}</ref>

=== Religion ===
{{See also|Religion in Albania}}

[[File:MotherTeresa 090.jpg|170px|thumb|right|[[Mother Teresa]] was an [[Albanians|Albanian]] [[Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] [[nun]] and [[missionary]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Cannon|first=Mae Elise|title=Just Spirituality: How Faith Practices Fuel Social Action|access-date=3 September 2016|date=25 January 2013|publisher=InterVarsity Press|language=en|isbn=978-0-8308-3775-5|page=19|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LxGECp1gqwwC&q=By+blood%2C+I+am+Albanian.
|quote=When asked about her personal history, Mother Teresa said: 'By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.'}}</ref>]]

[[Christianity]], [[Islam]] and [[Judaism]] are the traditional [[religion]]s of Albania. The [[Constitution of Albania|constitution]] extends [[freedom of religion]] to all citizens and the government generally respects this right in practice. Albania have always been considered as a unique country in terms of religion and [[religious tolerance]] is one of the main characteristics of [[Albanians]].
 
[[Christianity in Albania|Christianity]] has a long and eventful history in the country whereby it belongs to one of the most ancient countries of Christianity. There are thought to have been about seventy Christian families in [[Durrës]] as early as the time of the [[Apostles in the New Testament|Apostle]]s. [[Paul the Apostle]] was the founder of the Archbishopric of Durrës while he was preaching in [[Illyria]] and [[Epirus (ancient state)|Epirus]].<ref>{{cite web|first1=Bernhard|last1=Tonnes|title=Religious Persecution in Albania|url=https://biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/rcl/10-3_242.pdf|website=biblicalstudies.org.uk|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://reformation.edu/albania/pages/early-christianity-albania.htm|title=Early Christianity – Albania – Reformation Christian Ministries – Albania & Kosovo|work=reformation.edu|access-date=2017-07-02|archive-date=2020-09-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918080934/https://www.reformation.edu/albania/pages/early-christianity-albania.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the eleventh century, Albanians first appeared in [[Byzantine]] sources and at this point, they were already fully Christianized. The first known [[bishop]] of Albania was the [[Bishop of Scutari]] founded in 387 in [[Shkodër]]. In the late seventeenth century, [[Pope Clement XI]] served as the [[Pope]] from 1700 to 1721. He was born to an Albanian father descended from the noble [[Albani family]] from the region of [[Malësi e Madhe]] in Albania.

[[File:Clement XI.jpg|170px|thumb|left|[[Pope Clement XI]], the first pope of Albanian heritage]]

The history of [[Judaism in Albania|Judaism]] in the country can be traced back to the [[Classical antiquity|classical era]]. Jewish migration from the [[Roman Empire]] is considered the most likely source of the first Jews on the country's territory. It may have first arrived in Albania in the first century BC.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jewish Virtual Library|title=Albania|url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/albania.html|work=Virtual Jewish History Tour: Albania|publisher=Jewish Virtual Library|access-date=27 August 2012}}</ref> They build the first synagogue in [[Sarandë]] in the early fifth century. In the sixteenth century, there were Jewish settlements in most of major cities such as [[Berat]], [[Elbasan]], [[Vlorë]], [[Durrës]] and as well as in [[Kosovo]] region.

Albania was the only country during [[the Holocaust]] in Europe where [[Jewish]] population experienced growth.<ref>Samer, Haroey (1997), "Rescue in Albania: One Hundred Percent of Jews in Albania Rescued from Holocaust", The Jews of Albania, California: Brunswick Press, archived from the original on 2008-05-10, retrieved 21 October 2012</ref> After the mass emigration to [[Israel]] following the fall of communist regime, only 200 Albanian Jews are left in the country today.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3997848,00.html |title=1st chief rabbi inaugurated in Albania – Israel Jewish Scene, Ynetnews |newspaper=Ynetnews |date=17 December 2010 |publisher=Ynetnews.com |access-date=15 February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|first= Ariel |last= Scheib |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/vjw/albania.html |title=Albania Virtual Jewish Tour |encyclopedia=Jewish Virtual Library |access-date=15 February 2014}}</ref> In 2010, a new synagogue "Hechal Shlomo" started providing services for the Jewish community in [[Tirana]].

[[Islam in Albania|Islam]] arrived for the first time in the ninth century to the region, when Muslim Arabs raided the eastern [[Adriatic Sea]].<ref>{{Cite book|first1=Jørgen |last1=Nielsen |first2=Samim |last2=Akgönül |first3=Ahmet |last3=Alibašić |first4=Egdunas |last4=Racius |title=Yearbook of Muslims in Europe|chapter=Albania|page=23|volume=5|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ia5AAQAAQBAJ&q=albania&pg=PA351|access-date=12 March 2016|publisher=Brill|year=2013|location=Leiden, Boston, New York|isbn=9789004255869 }}</ref> In the fifteenth century, Islam emerged as the majority religion during the centuries of [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] rule, though a significant Christian minority remained. After [[Declaration of independence of Albania|declaration of independence]] on November 28, 1912, the Albanian republican, monarchic and later the communist regimes followed a systematic policy of separating religion from official functions and cultural life. Albania never had an official state religion either as a republic or as a kingdom.

== Arts ==

=== Painting ===
{{Main|Albanian art}}

[[File:Epitaph of Gllavenica.jpg|300px|thumb|right|[[Epitaph of Gllavenica]], the highlight of medieval Albanian art that was commissioned by [[Gjergj Arianiti]] in 1373]]

The [[art of Albania]] has a long and memorable history, represented in many forms such as [[painting]], [[sculpture]], [[mosaic]] and [[architecture]]. It show a great variety in style, in different regions and periods. Nonetheless, the country also has a tolerable heritage in [[visual arts]], specifically in [[fresco]]es, [[mural]]s and [[icon]]s, which often can be seen in many of the older structures in the country.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}
 
The surviving monuments of [[Illyria]]n, [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]] and [[Roman Empire|Roman]] art are notable for a tradition concentrating on the human figure and decorations. Through the many archaeological discoveries, in different areas of Albania have been found numerous of [[pottery]], [[terracotta]] and [[metalworking]] belonging to the [[Illyrians]] and several sculptures and mosaics belonging to the Ancient Greeks and Romans. 
 
Albanian medieval art started with the [[Byzantine Empire]] that ruled the great majority of Albania and the [[Balkan Peninsula]]. The first paintings have been icons and frescoes with an admirable use of colour and [[Gold (color)|gold]].{{citation needed|date=January 2021}} The most famous representative of Albanian medieval art were [[Onufri]] who was distinguished for its rich use of colours and decorative shades with certain [[Ethnography|ethnographic]] national elements that are more visible with his successors [[David Selenica]], [[Kostandin Shpataraku]] and the [[Zografi Brothers]].<ref name="www.albanianart.net index_al">{{cite web|title = Robert Elsie: Arti Shqiptar|url = http://www.albanianart.net/index_al.html|website = www.albanianart.net|access-date = 22 November 2015}}</ref>

[[Illuminated manuscript]]s were another significant feature of Albanian medieval art. The [[Codex Beratinus|Codices of Berat]] are two ancient [[Gospel Book|Gospel]]s from [[Berat]] that dates from the sixth and ninth centuries. They represent one of the most valuable treasures of the Albanian cultural heritage that was inscribed on the [[UNESCO]]'s [[Memory of the World Register]] in 2005.
 
[[File:Kole Idromeno, Motra tone.jpg|170px|thumb|left|[[Motra Tone]], created by [[Kolë Idromeno]]]]

In the fifteenth century, during the [[Ottoman Albania|Ottoman invasion]] many [[Albanians]] migrated out of the area to escape either various socio-political and economic difficulties. Among them, the medieval [[painter]]s [[Marco Basaiti]] and [[Viktor Karpaçi]], [[Sculpture|sculptor]] and [[architect]] [[Andrea Alessi|Andrea Nikollë Aleksi]] and [[art collector]] [[Alessandro Albani]] from the [[Albani family]].<ref>{{cite book|author=Walker Art Gallery|title=Annual Report and Bulletin of the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-W0rAAAAIAAJ|quote=Andrea Alessi, architect and sculptor, was a native of Durazzo in Albania and possibly of local rather than Italian origin.}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Babinger|first=Franz|title=L'origine albanese del pittore Marco Basaiti (ca. 1470 - ca. 1530)|journal=Atti. Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Classe di Scienze Morali e Lettere|year=1962|series=CXX|pages=497–500}}</ref>

The [[Ottoman Empire]] ruled over the country and most of the [[Balkans]] for nearly five centuries. This influence were absorbed and reinterpreted with an extensive construction of [[mosque]]s that opened a new section in Albanian art, that of [[Islamic art]].<ref>{{cite web|author1=Edmond Manahasa, İlknur Aktug Kolay|title=Observations on the existing Ottoman mosques in Albania|url=http://www.az.itu.edu.tr/azvol12no2web/09-Manahasa-Kolay-1202.pdf|website=az.itu.edu.tr|language=en|access-date=2018-02-17|archive-date=2020-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927091654/http://www.az.itu.edu.tr/azvol12no2web/09-Manahasa-Kolay-1202.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> 
 
In the nineteenth century a significant era for Albanian art begins. The great liberation acts starting with [[League of Prizren]] in 1878, that led to the [[Declaration of independence of Albania|Independence]] in 1912, established the climate for a new [[artistic movement]], which would reflect life and history more realistically and [[Impressionism]] and [[Realism (arts)|Realism]] came into dominance.<ref>{{cite book|first1=MaryLee|last1=Knowlton|title=Albania - Band 23 von Cultures of the world|year=2005|publisher=Marshall Cavendish, 2004|isbn=9780761418528|pages=102–103|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=alNsb0fpX9IC&q=impressionism+in+albania&pg=PA102|language=en}}</ref><ref name="www.albanianart.net index_al"/>

Contemporary Albanian artwork captures the struggle of everyday [[Albanians]], however new artists are utilizing different artistic styles to convey this message. Albanian artists continue to move art forward, while their art still remains distinctively Albanian in content. Though among Albanian artist [[Post-modernism (art)|postmodernism]] was fairly recently introduced, there is a number of artists and works known internationally.
{{Clear}}

=== Architecture ===
{{Main|Architecture of Albania}}
{{See also|UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Albania|Protected areas of Albania#Archaeological Parks|l2=Archaeological Parks of Albania}}

[[File:Amphitheatre of Butrint 2009.jpg|210px|thumb|right|[[Butrint]] is a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] since 1992.<ref>{{cite web|author1=UNESCO|author-link=UNESCO|title=Butrint|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/570|website=whc.unesco.org|language=en}}</ref>]]

The country's [[Architecture of Albania|architecture]] reflect a rich variety of [[architectural style]]s and is rooted in its [[History of Albania|history]], culture and [[Religion in Albania|religion]]. Influences from distant social, religious and exotic communities have contributed to the variety of the architectural landscape in Albania that is richly revealed by [[archaeological find]]s that nonetheless retains a certain amount of continuity across history. 
 
Some of the earliest productions, notably from [[Illyria]]ns, [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greek]]s and [[Roman Empire|Roman]]s, are found scattered throughout the country. The best collection of [[Ancient architecture]] can be found in [[Butrint]] in the southwest, [[Apollonia (Illyria)|Apollonia]], [[Durrës]] and [[Byllis]] in the west and [[Amantia]] and [[Phoenice]] in the south. Religion and kingship do not seem to have played an important role in the planning of these towns at that time.
 
In the [[Middle Ages]] a variety of architecture styles developed in the form of dwelling, defense, worship and engineering structures. The consolidation of [[Albanian principalities]] gave rise to Varosha, or neighborhoods outside city walls. Examples of such developments are centred in [[Petrele]], [[Krujë]], [[Tepelenë]] and [[Lezhë]] originating from the feudal castle. Some inherited historic structures were damaged by invading [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] forces. It is important to note that [[Ali Pashe Tepelena]] embarked on a major castle building campaign throughout Epirus.

Much earlier, the introduction of [[Christianity]] brought churches and monasteries which otherwhile became the center of most towns and cities in the country. Byzantine [[Church (building)|church]]es and Ottoman [[mosque]]s are also on the best examples and legacies of [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]]s and Ottomans, which are specifically exemplified in [[Berat]], [[Gjirokastër]] and [[Korçë]] region.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Albanian medieval towns underwent urban transformations by various Austro-Hungarian and Italian architects, giving them the appearance of western European cities. This can be particularly seen in [[Tirana]] and [[Korçë]]. They introduced [[architectural style]]s such as [[Historicism (art)|Historicism]], [[Art Nouveau]], [[Renaissance Revival architecture|Neo-Renaissance]] and [[Neoclassicism]].

=== Clothing ===
{{Main|Traditional Albanian clothing}}
{{See also|Traditional clothing of Kosovo}}

[[File:Les Danseurs Albanais by Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps (c. 1835).jpg|thumb|210px|right|[[Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps|Albanian]]s wearing [[fustanella]]s, the [[national costume of Albania]]]]
 
[[Traditional Albanian clothing]] developed as a result of long processes that has differentiated the country from other countries. Its recorded history of clothing goes back to the [[Classical Antiquity|classical times]].<ref>{{citation| chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lazWAQAAQBAJ&q=moons%2C+stars%2C+and+snakes&pg=PA15| page=16| title=Encyclopedia of National Dress: Traditional Clothing Around the World| chapter=Albania| publisher=ABC-CLIO| year=2013|isbn= 9780313376368}}</ref> It includes more than two hundred different forms of clothing in all Albania and [[Albanian diaspora|neighbouring countries]] that includes without limitation the Albanians in [[Kosovo]], Western [[Albanians in North Macedonia|North Macedonia]], Southern [[Albanians in Montenegro|Montenegro]], [[Arbereshe people|Italy]] and [[Albanians in greece|Greece]].

Nothing less than each cultural and geographical region of Albania has its own specific variety of clothing being particularly colorful and rich in detail. The costumes are often decorated with [[Paganism|pagan]] symbolic elements of [[Illyrians]] among others suns, eagles, moons, stars and snakes, but predominantly  the zig-zag and concentric circles decoration, found in ancient times throughout the Balkans but also in national costumes of other Balkan peoples.<ref name="google16">{{citation| chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lazWAQAAQBAJ&q=moons%2C+stars%2C+and+snakes&pg=PA15| page=16| title=Encyclopedia of National Dress: Traditional Clothing Around the World| chapter=Albania| editor-first=Jill| editor-last=Condra| first=Leyla| last=Belkaid| volume=I| publisher=ABC-CLIO| year=2013|isbn= 9780313376368}}</ref>

These clothes are most often worn with connection to special events and celebrations, mostly at ethnic festivals, religious [[Public holidays in Albania|holiday]]s, weddings and by dancing groups. Some conservative old men and women mainly from the high northern as well as southern lands wear those traditional clothes in their daily lives.

They were made mainly of products from the local [[agriculture]] and [[livestock]] such as leather, wool, linen, hemp fiber and silk. The textiles nowadays are still embroidered in very elaborate ancient patterns. Among the most important parts of clothing includes the [[Qeleshe]], or also known as Plis, the [[Albanian hat]], the Qylafë, the [[Fustanella]], the [[Xhubleta]], the [[Xhamadan]], the [[Brez (clothing)|Brez]], the [[Çorape]], the [[Opinga]] and many others.

One of obvious common cultural trait of Gheg, Tosk and Cham Albanians is the predominance of white color in their national dress/costume, with variations in the shapes and designs (Gheg Albanians traditionally wore white trousers while Tosk and Cham Albanians traditionally wore white kilt). The white color seems to have a special place in Albanian culture, as many phrases include the term "white" ( alb. "bardh"), both literally and figuratively ( "fatbardh" -lit. "white fate"- fig. "good luck", "faqe bardh" - lit. "white" face - fig. "clean face" - "intact honor", "rrofsh sa male te bardha" - "May you live as long as white mountains" -  "snow-peaked mountains", etc.).
The white Albanian scull cap, popularly knows as  [[qeleshe]], or plis, etymologically related to Greek [[Pilos]] or [[Pileus (hat)|Pileus]] cap, is one of the well known Albanian cultural brands.

=== Music ===
{{Main|Albanian music}}
{{See also|Music of Kosovo|Traditional music in Kosovo|l1=Kosovan music|l2=Traditional Kosovan music}}

[[File:Lahuta QKVF.jpg|170px|thumb|right|The [[Gusle|lahuta]] is used mostly by [[Gheg Albanian]]s of northern Albania and Kosovo.]]

The [[Albanian music]] is very diverse and comes from its indigenous sounds and heritage. [[Albanian music|Folk music]] is a prominent part of the national identity with major stylistic differences between the traditional music of the northern [[Gheg Albanian|Gheg]]s and southern [[Labëria|Lab]]s and [[Tosk Albanian|Tosk]]s. The northern and southern traditions are contrasted by the rugged and heroic tone of the north and the relaxed form of the south. Albanian folk music has been influential in neighboring areas such as Kosovo, Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey, all home to significant numbers of [[Albanian diaspora|Albanian]]s.<ref>{{cite web|author1=BBC|title=Discovering the craze for Albania's Saze folk music|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p043kqk1?ocid=socialflow_twitter|website=bbc.co.uk|language=en|date=4 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="lesartsturcs">{{cite web|url=http://www.lesartsturcs.com/|title=History of music in Turkey|work=Les Arts Turcs|date=May 1, 1999|access-date=February 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509082409/http://www.lesartsturcs.com/|archive-date=May 9, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The [[Gheg Albanian|Gheg]]s are known for a distinctive variety of sung epic poetry. Many of the songs are about the ancient [[History of Albania|history]] of the country and the constant Albanian themes of honor, hospitality, treachery and revenge. In contrast, [[Tosk Albanian|Tosk]] music is soft and gentle, and [[Polyphony|polyphonic]] in nature. Notably, [[Albanian iso-polyphony]] from the south has been declared an [[UNESCO]] [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity]].<ref>{{cite web|author1=UNESCO|author-link=UNESCO|title=Albanian folk iso-polyphony|url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/albanian-folk-iso-polyphony-00155|website=ich.unesco.org|language=en}}</ref>

Along with the def, [[çifteli]] and sharki are used in the north in a style of dance and pastoral songs. Homemade [[wind instrument]]s are traditionally used by [[shepherd]]s in northern Albania; these include the zumarë and [[Gusle|lahuta]]. The southern people are known for ensembles consisting of [[violin]]s, [[clarinet]]s, lahuta and [[Def (instrument)|def]] as well.

Music in Albania extends to ancient [[Illyria]] and [[Ancient Greece|Greece]], with influences from the [[Roman Empire|Roman]], [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] and [[Ottoman Empire]].<ref name="hisalbmc">{{cite web|first1=Marinela|last1=Mahony|title=An investigation of the polyphonic folk music of Albania|url=https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/27337/dissertation.pdf?sequence=1|website=repository.up.ac.za|page=28|language=en|format=PDF|access-date=2018-02-17|archive-date=2017-08-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816193006/http://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/27337/dissertation.pdf?sequence=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is evident in [[Architecture of Albania|archeological findings]] such as arenas, [[odeon (building)|odeon]]s, theatre buildings and amphitheatres, all over Albania. The remains of temples, libraries, sculptures and paintings of ancient dancers, singers and musical instruments, have been found in territories inhabited by the ancient Illyrians and ancient Greeks.<ref name="hisalbmc"/>

The tradition of [[Church music|church singing]] was performed throughout the [[Middle Ages]] in the country's territory by choirs or soloists in [[ecclesiastical]] centers such as [[Berat]], [[Durrës]] and [[Shkodër]].<ref name="historyofalbmusic">{{cite web|author1=Charles University|author-link=Charles University|title=Choral Music in Albania|url=https://is.cuni.cz/webapps/zzp/download/120164852.|website=is.cuni.cz|language=en|format=PDF|access-date=2018-02-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226182252/https://is.cuni.cz/webapps/zzp/download/120164852|archive-date=2017-12-26|url-status=dead}}</ref> The Middle Ages in Albania included [[choral music]] and [[traditional music]].<ref name="historyofalbmusic"/> [[John Koukouzelis|Shën Jan Kukuzeli]], a singer, composer and musical innovator of Albanian origin, is one of the earliest known musicians.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Robert|last1=Elsie|title=Meine Bücher Mein Verlauf Bücher bei Google Play Historical Dictionary of Albania|date=19 March 2010|publisher=Scarecrow Press, 2010|isbn=9780810873803|page=252|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=haFlGXIg8uoC&q=Robert+Elsie+Jan+Kukuzeli&pg=PA252}}</ref>

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Albania has experienced another wave of [[Western culture|Western cultural]] influence, which led to the development of many previously unknown phenomena. The most vivid example is the Albanian rock, hip hop and pop music, with some performers gaining international recognition of Albanian origin from [[Albania]], [[Kosovo]] or [[Albanian diaspora]], such as [[Action Bronson]], [[Ava Max]], [[Bebe Rexha]], [[Dua Lipa]], [[Era Istrefi]], [[Elvana Gjata]], [[Dafina Zeqiri]], Albert Stanaj, [[G4SHI]], [[Ermal Meta]], [[Enca Haxhia|Enca]], [[Noizy]] and [[Rita Ora]].

[[Classical music]] became immensely popular in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and was known across even the most rural sections of the country. It was defined by the tension between classical composer Martin Gjoka along with [[Fan S. Noli|Fan Noli]] and [[Mikel Koliqi]], who embraced national identity and added religious and folk elements to their compositions.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Tradition of Classical Music In Albania|url=http://frosina.org/the-tradition-of-classical-music-in-albania/|website=frosina.org|date=8 December 2008 |language=en}}</ref> Most notable Albanian sopranos and tenors have gained also international recognition, among the best known are [[Inva Mula]], [[Marie Kraja]], [[Saimir Pirgu]] and [[Ermonela Jaho]].

=== Dance ===
{{Main|List of Albanian dances}}
[[File:Childe Harold's pilgrimage - a romaunt (1869) (14756251426).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Albanian war dance|Albanian warrior dance]] in circle around fire ([[Zjarri (Albanian paganism)|zjarri]]), drawing from the book [[Childe Harold's Pilgrimage]] written by [[Lord Byron]]  in the early 19th century.]]
The [[Albanians]] have a rich tradition of [[dance]]s with a great diversity of choreography and styles varying on the region due mainly to the fact that [[Albania]] is a country with a diverse [[Geography of Albania|topography]] thus the different varieties of dance developed. A couple of dances are ancient and to a certain extent persist nowadays.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Eno|last1=Koço|title=A Journey of the Vocal Iso(n)|date=27 February 2015|publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2015|isbn=9781443875783|page=16|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d5_zBgAAQBAJ&q=ancient+albanian+dance&pg=PA16|language=en}}</ref> The dances of the Albanians specifically of the [[Gheg Albanian|Gheg]]s from the north have more a solo character than those from the southern [[Tosk Albanian|Tosk]]s that have more social character, expressed in line and semi circle dances.

== Language ==
{{Main|Albanian language}}

[[File:Albanian dialects.svg|210px|thumb|Distribution of speakers of [[Albanian language|Albanian]]]]

[[Albanian language|Albanian]] is the most widely spoken language in [[Albania]]. It has two major distinct dialects: [[Tosk Albanian|Tosk]] spoken in the south and [[Gheg Albanian|Gheg]] spoken in the north. The geographical dividing line between those dialects appears to be the river of [[Shkumbin]]. Moreover, [[Albanian dialects]] are traditional local varieties and are traced back to the different Albanian tribes.

Albanian is an [[Indo-European language]] and occupies an [[language isolate|independent]] branch within this family. Scholars and linguists argue that Albanian derives from the ancient [[Illyrian language]], which were spoken in the western part of the [[Balkan Peninsula]] by [[Illyrian tribes]].<ref>Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture By J. P. Mallory, Douglas Q. Adams Edition: illustrated Published by Taylor & Francis, 1997 {{ISBN|978-1-884964-98-5}}, {{ISBN|978-1-884964-98-5}} (''"Although there are some lexical items that appear to be shared between Romanian (and by extension Dacian) and Albanian, by far the strongest connections can be argued between Albanian and Illyrian."'' page 11)
Concise Encyclopedia of Languages of the World By Keith Brown, Sarah Ogilvie Contributor Keith Brown, Sarah Ogilvie Edition: illustrated Published by Elsevier, 2008 {{ISBN|978-0-08-087774-7}}, {{ISBN|978-0-08-087774-7}} (''"Albanian constitutes a single branch of the Indo-European family of languages. It is often held to be related to Illyrian, a poorly attested language spoken in the Western Balkans in classical times"'' page 22)</ref>

Today, the language is spoken primarily in [[Kosovo]], [[North Macedonia]], [[Greece]] and [[Montenegro]] as well.<ref name = Euromosaic>{{cite web| url = http://www.uoc.edu/euromosaic/web/document/albanes/fr/i2/i2.html| title = L'arvanite/albanais en Grèce| access-date = 2009-03-16| author = Euromosaic project| year = 2006| publisher = [[European Commission]]| location = Brussels| language = fr}}</ref> Due to the large [[Albanian diaspora]] around the world, centuries-old communities speaking Albanian-based dialects can be particularly found scattered in Greece ([[Arvanitika]], [[Cham Albanian dialect|Cham]]), Italy ([[Arbëreshë people|Arbëreshë]]), Southern [[Preševo Valley|Serbia]] and in Croatia ([[Arbanasi people|Arbanasi]]). However, the total number of speakers is much higher than the native speakers in [[Southern Europe]]. The four dialects include [[Tosk Albanian]], [[Gheg Albanian]], [[Arbëresh language|Arbëresh]] and [[Arvanitika]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Fatjona |last=Mejdini |url=http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/albania-registers-diaspora-after-more-than-two-decade-12-14-2015 |title=Albania Aims to Register its Huge Diaspora |publisher=Balkan Insight |date=2013-05-03 |access-date=2017-01-17}}</ref>

Most [[Albanians]] are multi-lingual, speaking many regional and foreign languages such as [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Serbo-Croatian]], [[English language|English]] and others.

=== Mythology ===
{{Main|Albanian mythology}}

The mythology of Albania consist of [[myth]]s, [[legend]]s, [[folklore]], [[fairy tale]]s and [[Deity|gods]] of the [[Albanian people]]. Many characters in its mythology are included in the [[Albanian Songs of the Frontier Warriors|Songs of the Frontier Warriors]] ([[Albanian language|Albanian]]: Këngë Kreshnikësh or Cikli i Kreshnikëve). It is divided into two major groups such as legends of metamorphosis and historical legends. The Albanian mythology has its origin to the ancient [[Illyrians]], that inhabited the modern area of Albania during the [[Classical antiquity|classical time]].<ref name="bonefoy">{{cite book|last=Bonnefoy|first=Yves | author-link = Yves Bonnefoy |title=American, African, and Old European mythologies|publisher=[[University of Chicago Press]]|year=1993|page=[https://archive.org/details/americanafricano00bonn/page/253 253]|isbn=0-226-06457-3|url=https://archive.org/details/americanafricano00bonn|url-access=registration}}</ref> Some of the legends, songs and characters include [[Bardha]], [[Baloz]], [[E Bukura e Dheut]], E Bukura e Qiellit, [[En (Illyrian god)|En]], [[Perëndi]], [[Prende]], [[Tomor]] and [[Zana e malit]].

=== Literature ===
{{Main|Albanian literature}}

The cultural renaissance was first of all expressed through the development of the [[Albanian language|Albanian]] in the area of church texts and publications, mainly of the [[Catholicism in Albania|catholic]] region in the North, but also of the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] in the South. The [[Protestantism|Protestant]] reforms invigorated hopes for the development of the local language and literary tradition when cleric [[Gjon Buzuku]] translated the [[Catholic liturgy]] into Albanian, trying to do for Albanian what [[Martin Luther|Luther]] did for German.

[[File:Buzuku meshari.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Excerpt from ''Meshari'' by [[Gjon Buzuku]]]]
''The [[Meshari]]'' (''The Missal'') by Gjon Buzuku, published in 1555 is considered one of the first literary works of written Albanian. The refined level of the language and the stabilised [[orthography]] must be the result of an earlier tradition of written Albanian, a tradition that is not well understood. However, there is some fragmented evidence, pre-dating Buzuku, which indicates that Albanian was written from at least the 14th century.

The earliest evidence dates from 1332&nbsp;AD with a Latin report from the French Dominican Guillelmus Adae, [[Archbishop]] of [[Antivari]], who wrote that Albanians used Latin letters in their books though their language was quite different from Latin. Other significant examples include: a ''[[Formula e pagëzimit|baptism formula]]'' (''Unte paghesont premenit Atit et Birit et spertit senit'') from 1462, written in Albanian within a Latin text by the Bishop of [[Durrës]], [[Pal Engjëlli]]; a glossary of Albanian words of 1497 by Arnold von Harff, a German who had travelled through Albania, and a 15th-century fragment of the Bible from the [[Gospel of Matthew]], also in Albanian, but written in Greek letters.
 
Albanian writings from these centuries must not have been religious texts only, but historical chronicles too. They are mentioned by the humanist [[Marin Barleti]], who, in his book ''[[Siege of Shkodra (1478)#The Book|''Rrethimi i Shkodrës'' (The Siege of Shkodër)]]'' (1504), confirms that he leafed through such chronicles written in the language of the people (''in vernacula lingua'') as well as his biography of Skanderbeg [[Marin Barleti|''Historia de vita et gestis Scanderbegi Epirotarum principis'' (History of Skanderbeg)]] (1508). The History of Skanderbeg is still the foundation of Scanderbeg studies, and is considered an Albanian cultural treasure, vital to the formation of Albanian national self-consciousness.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the [[catechism]] ''E mbësuame krishterë'' (''Christian Teachings'') by [[Lekë Matrënga]] in 1592, Doktrina e krishterë (The Christian Doctrine) in 1618, and ''Rituale romanum'' in 1621 by [[Pjetër Budi]], the first writer of original Albanian prose and poetry, an [[Remorse|apology]] for George Castriot in 1636 by [[Frang Bardhi]], who also published a dictionary and [[folklore]] creations, the theological-philosophical treaty ''[[Cuneus Prophetarum]]'' (''The Band of Prophets'') in 1685 by [[Pjetër Bogdani]], the most universal personality of Albanian [[Middle Ages]], were published in [[Albanian language|Albanian]].

[[File:Ismail Kadare.jpg|190px|thumb|right|Ismail Kadare]]
Today, Albania's best-known contemporary writer is [[Ismail Kadare]] (1936–2024) whose novels have been translated into 45 languages.<ref name="mapo">{{cite web|url=http://www.mapo.al/2015/01/kadare-feston-ditelindjen-60-vjet-krijimtari-e-perkthyer-ne-45-gjuhe-te-botes/1|title=Kadare feston ditëlindjen, 60 vjet krijimtari e përkthyer në 45 gjuhë të botës – Gazeta Mapo|website=mapo.al|access-date=29 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170929184058/http://www.mapo.al/2015/01/kadare-feston-ditelindjen-60-vjet-krijimtari-e-perkthyer-ne-45-gjuhe-te-botes/1|archive-date=29 September 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> With his novels ''[[The General of the Dead Army (novel)|The General of the Dead Army]]'' (1963), ''[[The Siege (Kadare novel)|The Siege]]'' (1970), ''[[Chronicle in Stone]]'' (1971), ''[[The Three-Arched Bridge]]'' (1978), ''[[Broken April]]'' (1980), ''[[The File on H.]]'' (1981), ''[[The Palace of Dreams]]'' (1981), ''[[The Pyramid (Kadare novel)|The Pyramid]]'' (1992); and ''[[The Successor (Kadare)|The Successor]]'' (2002), Kadare brought Albanian literature into the mainstream of modern European literature.

The central theme of Kadare's works is totalitarianism and its mechanisms.<ref>{{cite web |author=Fundacion Princessa de Asturias |url=http://www.fpa.es/en/cargarAplicacionNoticia.do?identificador=163|title=Ismaíl Kadare, Prince of Asturias Award Laureate for Literature |publisher=Fundacion Princessa de Asturias |date=24 June 2009 | access-date=25 March 2017}}</ref> His work represents an artistic encyclopedia of Albanian life. The philosophy, beliefs, dramas, and historical and cultural traditions of Albania, filtered through the artistry of the writer, in Kadare's work express the vitality of the spiritual culture of the Albanian people. Kadare creates a modern prose making wide use of historical [[analogies]], [[parables]] and associations, Albanian legends and mythology. Starting from the [[Albanian Epic Verse, Poetry, and Song|epic]] world of [[medieval]] legends and [[ballads]], the prose of Kadare brings ancient [[folk traditions]] 'up to date' by showing their relevance to the modern world.

In 1992 Kadare was awarded the [[Prix mondial Cino Del Duca]]; in 1998, the [[Herder Prize]]; in 2005, the inaugural [[Man Booker International Prize]]; in 2009, the [[Prince of Asturias Award]] of Arts; and in 2015, the [[Jerusalem Prize]]. He was awarded the [[Park Kyong-ni Prize]] in 2019, and the [[Neustadt International Prize for Literature]] in 2020.<ref name="auto4">{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/tirana-albania-archive-ismail-kadare-deab24fc4f10478422dcb7aba28d8ec9|title=Albania's writer Ismail Kadare awarded Neustadt Prize|date=5 October 2020|website=AP News|first= Llazar|last= Semeni}}</ref> In 1996, France made him a foreign associate of the [[Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques]] of France, and in 2016, he was a ''[[Legion of Honour|Commandeur de la Légion d'Honneur]]'' recipient. He has been nominated for the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] 15 times. Since the 1990s, Kadare has been asked  by both major political parties in Albania to become a consensual [[President of Albania]], but has declined.

His nominating juror for the Neustadt Prize wrote: "Kadare is the successor of [[Franz Kafka]]. No one since Kafka has delved into the infernal mechanism of totalitarian power and its impact on the human soul in as much hypnotic depth as Kadare." His writing has also been compared to that of [[Nikolai Gogol]], [[George Orwell]], [[Gabriel García Márquez]], [[Milan Kundera]], and [[Balzac]]. Living in Albania during a time of strict censorship, Kadare devised cunning stratagems to outwit Communist censors who had banned three of his books, using devices such as parable, myth, fable, folk-tale, allegory, and legend, sprinkled with double-entendre, allusion, insinuation, satire, and coded messages. In 1990, to escape the Communist regime and its [[Sigurimi|''Sigurimi'' secret police]] he defected to Paris. ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that he was a national figure in Albania comparable in popularity perhaps to [[Mark Twain]] in the United States, and that "there is hardly an Albanian household without a Kadare book." Kadare is regarded by some as one of the greatest writers and intellectuals of the 20th and 21st centuries.<ref name="auto30">{{Cite web|url=https://www.fpa.es/en/princess-of-asturias-awards/laureates/2009-ismail-kadare.html?texto=trayectoria&especifica=0|title=Ismaíl Kadaré - Laureates - Princess of Asturias Awards for Literature 2009|website=The Princess of Asturias Foundation}}</ref><ref name=fund>{{cite web|url=http://www.fpa.es/en/cargarAplicacionNoticia.do?identificador=163|title=Ismaíl Kadare, Prince of Asturias Award Laureate for Literature |publisher=Fundacion Princessa de Asturias |date=24 June 2009 | access-date=12 March 2017}}</ref><ref name="Breto">{{cite book|author1=Jose Carlos Rodrigo Breto|title=Ismail Kadare: La grand estratagema|date=2018|publisher=Ediciones del Subsuelo|location=Barcelona|isbn=978-84-947802-0-2|pages=317–318|language=es|quote=Y que este libro sea el principio de toda una serie de ensayos que pueda cosntruir para abundar y ahondar en la obra del escritor que considero como más importante del Siglo XXI, y uno de los más importantes de la segunda mitad del Siglo XX.}}</ref>

== Wedding traditions ==

[[File:Kole Idromeno, Dasma Shkodrane.jpg|thumb|210px|[[Kolë Idromeno|Kolë Idromeno (1860–1939)]]: ''Wedding in Shkodra'', 1924]]

The dress of the Muslim bride is characterized by its elegance and transparency, in that of the Catholic one can see full colors. The Catholic bride's dress is characterized by its picturesque effects and harmony. There are two types of Muslim wedding dresses. One is worked on a "shajak" (large piece of wool) and with floral motives worked with "gajtan" (kind of rope) black cotton, sometimes mixed with green. The other one is worked in the same material but with red color. Different from the first here the motifs are enriched with full colors. The difference between this two dresses that at the first dress the motifs occupy all the area, at the second it occupies a little part in the front and back. These dresses have a belt worked with gold and grain necklaces in red, rose, orange creating all together a warm surface. Here the motifs are very small.

;Dress of Catholic Shkodran Bride

The dress is tripped from the transparent white, shiny, soft, which spreads all over the body, and is intended to suggest tranquility and a warm purity. This concept of tradition is achieved through the white of the base material and the gold thread over. This dress is composed by the "barnaveke": some kind of very long pants which seem a skirt.

;Paja

Ritual songs name various elements which contain "paja" (pronounced ''paya'') of the girl, which are the goods parents give to the daughter to wear, to furnish the house, gifts for her husband and the intimate cousins. Elements are typically made by [[weaving]] clothes using [[loom]]s. The preparation of the "paja" for the parents of the bride is a pleasure which means also accomplishing the obligations toward the daughter.

;Dhuntia

"Dhunti" in Shkodra means the gifts that the groom prepares for the bride during the engagement, mainly clothes, jewelry, gold ornaments and tricks, which are sent to her a few days before the wedding.
In addition to those received by the family of his father, the bride takes many gifts from the groom and his family. "Dhuntia", which had a considerable monetary value, was prepared with great care by the family of the boy, because in some way embodied respect and love for his young bride, to whom these gifts were made, love for their son that he married at the same time was also a representation of the family in its economic and aesthetic. In "dhunti" there were enough clothes and items for use at all times, in joy and in sorrow, which expressed particular attention to the role of women.
{{Clear}}

== Sports ==
{{see also |Sport in Albania}}
Sport is a popular culture activity in Albania and really popular amongst the population. Albanian's participate in several sports activities and this since the 19th century.

=== Football ===
{{see also |Football in Albania}}

[[Association football]] is the most popular sport in Albania. It dates back to before the early 20th century.

The Football Association of Albania was founded in June 1930. It was accepted as a [[FIFA]] member in 1932 and was a [[UEFA]] founding member in 1954.

==See also==
{{Commons category|Culture of Albania}}
* [[History of Albania]]
* [[Geography of Albania]]
* [[National symbols of Albania]]
* [[Albanisation]]
* [[Albanian language]]
* [[Illyrian language]]
* [[Messapian language]]
* [[Coffee culture]]
* [[Bread and salt]]
* [[Albanophilia]]
* [[Cultural heritage of Albania]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== External links ==
* [http://kultura.gov.al/ Ministry of Culture of Albania]
* [http://www.bksh.al National Library of Albania]
* [http://www.special-dictionary.com/proverbs/source/a/albanian_proverb/ 48 Albanian Proverbs]
* [https://www.scribd.com/doc/11444724/Books-about-Albania-and-the-Albanian-people Books about Albania and the Albanian people] ''(scribd.com)'' Reference of books (and some journal articles) about Albania and the Albanian people; their history, language, origin, culture, literature, etc. Public domain books, fully accessible online.

{{Albania topics}}
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