Naim Frashëri

Naim Frashëri was born on the 25 th May 1846; he died on the 20 th October 1900. He was a poet and a writer from Albania. He was one of ...

Naim Frashëri was born on the 25^th May 1846; he died on the 20^th October 1900. He was a poet and a writer from Albania. He was one of the most popular figures in the Albanian National Awakening on the 19^th century, along with his brother Sami and Abdyl. He is recognized as the national poet of the country, Albania.

source of picture: en.wikipedia.org

Early Life and Career

It is claimed that Frashëri brothers, Naim, Abdyl and Sami were Aromanians. The family is from Frasher, a village in Aromania, and there surname came from the name of the village. His father is a bey from Frasher in the contemporary city of Permet. Naim Studied at the Zosimea Greek High School of Ioannina, and that was when the city was still a part of the Ottoman Empire. As he came from a family with a long link to the Bektashi Sufi Order, he was made an official of the Ottoman in Sarande, Berat and Ioannina. In the year 1882, he relocated to Istanbul and began his work in the culture ministry of the Ottoman.

Naim participated in the National Renaissance of the country, and he always sign his writings with the use of his initials, as he otherwise would have been in danger of serving in an official Ottoman position. And his work had to be sneaked into the country, Albania. The earliest works he did were poetry and his first piece of writing was in Persian language. In all he wrote the total of 22 major works; 4 of the works are in Turkish, one of the works is in Persian, 2 of the works are in Greek and 155 others were in Albanian language. The early patriotic poems he wrote, which are highly prominent were influenced strongly by the Persian literature and later as well as French poetry. He also translated many fables of Jean de la Fontaine, Homer's Iliad and he wrote some srticles on the practices of Islam and Didactics. His poem, Herd and Tillage portrays the activities of the shepherd and the tiller, together with his personal reflection on the beauty of the landscapes and expressions of his country Albania and of his longing for his country. The epic poem that he wrote, Skanderbeg’s Story, renarrates the life of an Albanian national hero called George Kastrioti Skanderbeg, which he intertwined with the use of imaginary episodes.

He died in Kızıltoprak, Kadıköy, a district near Istanbul, in contemporary Turkey.

Influence and Recognition

With the use of his writings, Frasheri applied a great influence on literature of the country and the society at larger. The independent Albanian state formulated an order of merit that is bearing his name, and it is awarded amongst other to Mother Teresa. A publishing house in the country has his name as the name of the organization. Some elementary schools in the country are given his name in his honor.

He is portrayed on the obverse of the Albanian 500 lekë banknote that was used from the year 1992 to the year 1996 and the 200 lekë that was issued in the country in the year 1996.