| Sami Frashëri | |
|---|---|
Sami Frashëri and his wife. |
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| Born | June 1, 1850 Frashër, Përmet, Albania, then Ottoman Empire |
| Died | June 18, 1904 (aged 54) Erenköy, Istanbul, Turkey, then Ottoman Empire |
| Organization | Central Committee for Defending Albanian Rights, Society for the Printing of Albanian Writings |
| Influenced | Ndre Mjeda, Ismail Qemali, Luigj Gurakuqi |
| Political movement | National Renaissance of Albania |
| Children | Ali Sami Yen |
| Relatives | Abdyl Frashëri(Brother) Naim Frashëri(Brother) Mit'hat Frashëri(Nephew) Mehdi Frashëri(Nephew) |
Sami Frashëri (June 1, 1850, Frashër, Përmet, Albania, then Ottoman Empire – June 18, 1904) was an Ottoman Albanian writer, philosopher, playwright and a prominent figure of the Rilindja Kombëtare, the National Renaissance movement of Albania, together with his two brothers Naim and Abdyl. He accepted and supported the Turkish nationalism and laicism[1] and had close relationships with Turkish nationalist intellectuals such as Veled Chelebi (İzbudak) and Nedjib 'Asim (Yazıksız)[2].
Frashëri was one of the sons of an impoverished Bey from Frashër (Fraşer during the Ottoman rule) in the District of Përmet. He gained a place in Ottoman literature as a talented author under the name of Şemseddin Sami Efendi and contributed to the Ottoman Turkish language reforms.
However, Frashëri's message, as declared in his book "Albania - What it was, what it is, and what will become of it" published in 1899, became the manifesto of the Albanian Renaissance (Rilindja Kombëtare). Frashëri discussed the prospects for a free and independent republic of Albania. In this way, beginning with a demand for autonomy and struggle for their own alphabet and education, he helped the Albanian National Liberation movement develop its claim for independence.
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He finished gymnasium in Zosimea Greek language school in Ioannina. There, he came in touch with western philosophy and studied Greek, French and Italian. With the help of a personal teacher, he also learned Arabic, Turkish and Persian.
In 1872 he migrated to Istanbul where he worked in a governmental press bureau. His lifetime goal, as that of many other members of Albanian renaissance, was the development and improvement of Albania's culture and independence of the country.
Along with his elder brother Abdyl, Hasan Tahsini, Pashko Vasa and Jani Vreto, he founded the Central Committee for Defending Albanian Rights. Early in the 1879, this committee formed a commission for Albanian alphabet.
Sami Frashëri also founded and headed the Society for the Printing of Albanian Writings in October 1879 , where Albanian scholastic books and texts were compiled by him and his brother Naim. The society was forced to close by the Ottoman Government in 1885 along with the Drita magazine, then Dituria, which had been opened in 1884 by Petro Poga, but on decree issued on demand of Sami Frasheri.[3]
He died on June 18, 1904 after a severe illness at his home in Erenköy, Istanbul.
His son, Ali Sami Yen (1886–1951), was a footballer and founder of Galatasaray SK and chairman of Galatasaray between 1905–1918 and 1925-1926.
Sami is author of around 50 masterpieces. Some of his most important writings are:
The story carries a sentimental subject of love between Talat and Fitnat. Generally, the novel consists of a combination of Oriental and Western writing styles. Also, this novel is commonly mistaken to be the first novel written in Turkish.[4]
Is a melodrama aiming Besa as a subject, but in a very tragic situation; the father kills his son to keep the given word.
Şemseddin Sami also did a series of scientific writings in Albanian such as Qielli (Sky), Toka (Earth), Njeriu (Human Being), Gjuha (Language), and many more.
In Turkish in his "Pocket Library" collection, he published small scientific booklets on subjects as Astronomy, Geology, Anthropology, History of Islam and the Islamic civilization, Women, Mythology and Linguistics. He also published a small compilation of Humor named Letâ'if in two volumes, a compilation of Proverbs and Quotes named Emsâl in four volumes, and a series of reading-oriented educational books for schoolchildren.
Sami Frashëri together with Jani Vreto supported the idea that the Albanian alphabet should be based on the Greek alphabet, since according to them, Albanians and Greeks have the same ancestors, the Pelasgians.[5]
Theoretical commentary that became Rilindja Kombëtare's manifesto.