Albania’s First Conference on Ottoman-Era Scholars Hani Salah

In a scientific step carrying exceptional intellectual and historical significance, the Albanian capital, Tirana, hosted the first conference of its kind in the country, dedicated to exploring the legacy of Albanian scholars in the Western Balkans during the Ottoman era, which spanned nearly five centuries.

This event also marked the first scientific conference organized by the newly established “Minbar Center,” signaling a serious research orientation by a young institution that chose to engage directly with one of the deepest files of Albanian Islamic scholarly heritage in the region.

Why This Conference Matters

The importance of this conference is doubled—not only because it is the first of its kind, but also because it opens a file long left in the shadows. This file concerns Albanian scholars, religious schools, institutions of Islamic knowledge, and the impact of these elites in shaping religious, social, and political awareness in Albania and the Western Balkans during the Ottoman era. This was a period that lasted nearly five centuries and left profound imprints on the region’s history.

For the first time in Albania, “Minbar” has opened the file of scholars and religious schools in the Western Balkans during the Ottoman era.

Regional Participation and Ottoman Archives

The wide academic participation from countries of the Western Balkans where Albanian communities live—Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Montenegro—alongside Turkey, reflects a clear regional orientation. This is especially significant given the treasures of Ottoman archival documents preserved in Turkey that relate to this historical period.

Why Now?

In statements to Al-Mujtama‘, Dr. Farid Beko, Director of the Minbar Center, emphasized that the conference aims to shed light on the precious scientific treasures produced by the Albanian people during the Ottoman period—treasures of scholars and intellectual heritage that in most cases remained marginalized, neglected, or misunderstood.

He stressed that discussing Albanian scholars of the Ottoman era reveals a wide constellation of prominent figures and a long list of names: distinguished teachers and educators, Sheikhs of Islam, muftis and judges, scholars and philosophers, historians, writers, and poets. It also includes personalities who held high administrative and political positions in the state—leaders, governors, ministers, and grand viziers. This reflects the elevated status Albanian scholars attained in both religious and state affairs.

Reviving Interest in a Crucial Era

Dr. Beko added that the conference also seeks to attract the attention of researchers, students, and interested audiences to a long and pivotal era in the history of Albania and the Western Balkans. This helps in understanding the cultural, social, and political context of Albanian cities, the institutions of religion and knowledge, the nature of scholars and imams trained in local schools and in Istanbul, the essential tasks these scholarly cadres undertook, and the roles they played during critical historical junctures experienced by the region’s peoples.

The broad academic participation from Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Turkey reflects the depth of the research project.

Restoring Scholars to National Memory

He pointed out that the deeper goal of the conference is to restore Albanian intellectual and scholarly figures to the place they deserve in national and cultural memory. Studying heritage and scholarly traditions provides an entry point to understanding the identity of ancestors, the path they followed, and the legacies they left for later generations—despite the distortions, neglect, and risks of erasure that accumulated over time.

Five Centuries of Knowledge Mapped

The conference opened with an inaugural speech by Dr. Farid Beko, followed by multiple academic sessions addressing the historical background, educational institutions, and Ottoman schools in the region.

Among the most notable papers presented by researchers and academics from across the region was the contribution of Prof. Dr. Abdulrahman Atçil, professor at Sabancı University and member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences, with a paper titled “Science and Scholars in the Ottoman State.”

Another highlight was the participation of Prof. Dr. Ali Erkan, professor at Marmara University, with a paper titled “Scholars in the Balkans After the Ottoman Period,” which expanded the temporal scope of discussion beyond the Ottoman era.

From Kosovo, Dr. Sadiq Mohamedi, member of the Albanian Studies Institute in Pristina and professor at the Faculty of Islamic Studies, presented a paper titled “Ottoman Schools and Their Curricula.”

From North Macedonia, Dr. Qenan Ismaili, Mufti of Skopje, contributed a paper titled “Ancient Albanian Schools in Skopje,” shedding light on the educational heritage of Islamic Albanian institutions in the city.

In later sessions, Prof. Dr. Murtaza Beder, professor at Istanbul University and head of the Islamic Studies Center (ISAM), presented a paper titled “The Role of Scholars Between Past and Present.”

These and other contributions from Albania, the Western Balkans, and Turkey reflect the broad research horizon of the conference. They confirm that it represents a significant scientific milestone in re-reading the Islamic scholarly heritage of the region and opens the door to wider studies on the impact of Albanian scholars in the Western Balkans during five centuries of Ottoman presence.

Minbar Center: A Project to Revive Scholarly Heritage

According to its official website, the Minbar Center was established in response to contemporary challenges facing religious discourse and Islamic thought in Albania, driven by the desire to serve this cause and meet the urgent needs of religious cadres.

Its core mission is to contribute to raising the level of public religious discourse, strengthening Islamic research, and supporting the capacities of scholars, researchers, and academic investigators.

The Center also works to study the role of Albanian scholars in the Western Balkans during the Ottoman era and to revive their scientific, religious, and cultural heritage. This mission is clearly reflected in the nature of this conference and its research objectives.