Türkiye donates over 1M documents from Ottoman Archives to Albania

By Fatjon Cuka

TIRANA, Albania (AA) - Türkiye has donated more than 1 million documents containing data on Ottoman-era Albania and its residents to the Balkan country in digital media, according to the state’s top archivist.

Ardit Bido, the head of Albania’s state archives, told media outlets that the institution he manages has enriched itself with over 1 million documents from the Ottoman Archives based in Istanbul.

Underlining that the donation took place under an agreement on the exchange of archival documents between the two institutions, Bido said: "In 2015 and 2020, the archive in Istanbul donated between 5,000 and 350,000 papers of documents.”

Among them were edicts, biographical data on Ismail Qemali, the founding father of modern Albania, and documents related to Ali Pasha of Ioannina, an Albanian ruler who died in 1822, he said.

Bido underscored that all Ottoman era archival documents related to Albania and Albanians have now been returned to his country.

The documents also reportedly cover the political and social activities of Albanians throughout the Ottoman Empire.

Albanian archive officials said the documents will be an impetus for further research and will shed light on the activities of Albania and Albanians from the Ottoman era until the declaration of independence in 1912.​​​​​​​

* Writing by Merve Berker