Delvinë
Photo of the town
Delvinë
Coordinates: 39°57′N 20°6′E / 39.95°N 20.1°E / 39.95; 20.1Coordinates: 39°57′N 20°6′E / 39.95°N 20.1°E / 39.95; 20.1
Country	Albania
County	Vlorë County
District	Delvinë District
Population (2001)
• Total	6,475
Time zone	Central European Time (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	9704
Area code(s)	0815
Car Plates	DL

Delvinë (Albanian: Delvinë or Delvina, Greek: Δελβινιον, Delvinion) is a small town in Vlorë County in southern Albania, 16 km northeast of Saranda. Delvinë is the seat of the Delvinë District. Delvinë has lost over a third of its citizens since 1990, having a population of 4,200 (2004 estimate).

The city is built on a mountain slope. It has a mosque, a Catholic church, a Protestant church, and an Orthodox church. Nearby are the remainders of a medieval castle. To the south west of the city is the site of ancient Phoenice, which was declared an Archaeological Park in 2005.^[1]

There is little local employment apart from that provided by the State, and Delvinë benefits little from the tourist boom in Saranda.

The town has a mixed population of Albanians and Greeks. The latter, according to the Human Rights Watch, constituted 50% in 1989 and 25% in 1999 of the town's population.^[2]

History[link]

In antiquity the region was inhabited by the Greek tribe of the Chaonians. In the Middle Ages, Delvinë was part of the Despotate of Epirus.

Delvinë under Ottoman Turkish control[link]

Orthodox church in Delvinë

The Sanjak of Delvina was established in the middle of 16th century.^[3] Its county town was Delvinë but during the 18th century the local Pasha moved the seat of the sanjak from Delvine to Gjirokastër. Its official name didn't change, however, it was also referred as Sanjak of Gjirokastër.^[4]

In 1635, according to the Codex of the church of Delvinë, when the Muslims had increased they dwelt in quarters inhabited by the Christian Orthodox, confiscated their churches and converted them to mosques, thereby forcing the non-Islamized Christians to move to other quarters of the town.^[5] The Turkish traveler Evliya Çelebi visited Delvinë around 1670 and gave some information about the city in his travel book. He reported that in the Middle Ages Delvinë was in the hands of the Spanish and later the Venetians. In his own time, Ajaz Mehmet Pasha - a native Albanian - governed the Sanjak-bey of Delvinë. The sanjak covered 24 zeamets and 155 timars. There was a Turkish garrison, whose command on the castle was from Delvinë. According to the description of Çelebis, the small fortress had a good cisterne, an ammunition depot and a small mosque. In the city there were about 100 brick-built houses. These stood relatively far apart and nearly every house had a tower. He noted that a town wall was missing. There was several mosques, three Medreses and about 80 stores as well as an open market place.

In 1878 a Greek rebellion broke out, with the revolutionaries, mostly Epirotes, taking control of Sarandë and Delvinë. However, it was suppressed by the Ottoman troops, who burned 20 villages of the region.^[6] In the early 20th century a çetë(armed band) consisting of 200 activists of the Albanian National Awakening was formed in Delvinë.^[7] During the Balkan Wars and the subsequent Ottoman defeat, the Greek Army entered the city at March 3, 1913.^[8] In June 1914 the town hosted the constituent assembly of the representatives of Northern Epirus that discussed and finally approved the Protocol of Corfu, on July 26, 1914.^[9] Delvino then became part of the short-lived Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus.

Jewish community[link]

Until the Second World War, a small Jewish community existed in Delvinë. It consisted of Jews from Spain who had come to Delvinë when under Ottoman rule and had close connections to the large Jewish community in Ioannina. After the war, nearly all the Jews emigrated to Israel.

Education[link]

The first school in Delvina, a Greek language school, was founded at 1537, when the town was still under Venetian control, and was maintained by bequests from wealthy local families.^[10] Moreover, at 1875 a Greek female school was founded.^[11]

Notable people[link]

• Themistoklis Bamichas, ethnic Greek politician and representative of Northern Epirus at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919
• Sulejman Delvina, fifth Prime Minister of Albania
• Avni bej Delvina, bej of the city, was one of the signatories of the Albanian Declaration of Independence
• Limoz Dizdari, composer
• Ecumenical Patriarch Serapheim II of Constantinople, cleric and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople
• Sabri Godo, writer and politician

References[link]

See also[link]

• Finiq
• Vllahat

v t e Municipalities of Vlorë County Capital: Vlorë Delvinë District Delvinë Finiq Mesopotam Vergo Sarandë District Aliko Dhivër Konispol Ksamil Livadhja Lukovë Markat Sarandë Xarrë Vlorë District Armen Brataj Himarë Horë-Vranisht Kotë Novoselë Orikum Qendër Selenicë Sevaster Shushicë Vllahinë Vlorë

v t e Cities in Albania Bajram Curri Bajzë Ballsh Berat Bilisht Bulqizë Burrel Cërrik Çorovodë Delvinë Divjakë Durrës Elbasan Ersekë Fier Fushë-Arrëz Fushë-Krujë Gjirokastër Gramsh Himarë Kamëz Kavajë Këlcyrë Klos Konispol Koplik Korçë Krasta Krrabë Krujë Krumë Kuçovë Kukës Kurbnesh Laç Leskovik Lezhë Libohovë Librazhd Lushnjë Maliq Mamurras Manëz Memaliaj Orikum Patos Peqin Përmet Peshkopi Pogradec Poliçan Prrenjas Pukë Reps Roskovec Rrëshen Rrogozhinë Rubik Sarandë Selenicë Shëngjin Shijak Shkodër Sukth Tepelenë Tirana Ulëz Urë Vajgurore Vau i Dejës Vlorë Vorë

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2008)

This page is about the Albanian national hero - for the town named after him, see Bajram Curri (town).

Bajram Curri (1862 – March 29, 1925) was an ethnic Albanian politician and activist within the Vilayet of Kosovo, Ottoman Empire. He is awarded the title Hero of Albania.^[1]

Curri was born in Yakova (modern-day Đakovica), in the Rumelia Province of the Ottoman Empire. Whilst the present-day regions of Albania and Serbia were under Ottoman control, Curri represented the interests of the Albanians. He successfully fought in 1912 against the Young Turks. During World War I, he organized a guerrilla unit as part of the Kachak movement trough the Committee for the National Defence of Kosovo which he was a member.

When Albania was reconstituted after the war, he held various governments posts as a Minister and as a commander in the army. As an opponent of the later King Ahmed Zogu, to whom the Kosovo issue was less important, he was pursued by the King's troops and encircled in the northern Albanian mountains. He shot himself on March 29, 1925, in order to escape capture. The place where he died, Dragobi, in Tropojë District, was renamed after him (Bajram Curri), to commemorate him as a freedom fighter.

See also[link]

• Kachak
• List of Albanians

Notes and references[link]

Notes:

References:

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