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Dictionary of Albanian Literature

Literature & Fiction

Elsie, Robert

History & Criticism

Greenwood

The Albanian Bektashi: History and Culture of a Dervish Order in the Balkans

The Bektashi dervish order is a Sufi Alevite sect found in Anatolia and the Balkans with a strong presence in Albania. In this, his final book, Robert Elsie analyses the Albanian Bektashi and considers their role in the country's history and society. Although much has been written on the Bektashi in Turkey, little has appeared on the Albanian branch of the sect. Robert Elsie considers the history and culture of the Bektashi, analyses writings on the order by early travellers to the region such as Margaret Hasluck and Sir Arthur Evans and provides a comprehensive list of tekkes (convents) and tyrbes (shrines) in Albania and neighbouring countries. Finally he presents a catalogue of notable Albanian Bektashi figures in history and legend. This book provides a complete reference guide to the Bektashi in Albania which will be essential reading for scholars of the Balkans, Islamic sects and Albanian history and culture.

Albanian Bektashi, The: History and Culture of a Dervish Order in the Balkans

History

Americas

I.B.Tauris

This reference provides a comprehensive overview, not only of Albanian history, but also of contemporary Albania as it enters the 21st century, focusing as it does both on the past and on a modern European nation struggling to put its formidable Stalinist past behind it. For half a century, Albania was a planet of its own, isolated from the rest of Mother Earth. Since the fall of the communist regime, the Albanians have been striving, not without difficulty, to find their place among the nations of Europe.The majority of the over 700 entries in this dictionary are biographical entries. They comprise not only figures of Albanian history, but also contemporary public figures and political leaders in Albania, as well as individuals, Albanian and foreign, who have made notable contributions to Albanian studies and Albanian culture. The entries not only cover history and politics, but also culture and religion, foreign relations, language, economics and social customs. Additionally, this dictionary includes a further dimension: the Albanians living outside of the country, whether part of an earlier diaspora or cut off by artificial and sometimes contested borders. While the introduction, chronology and dictionary entries provide readers with a solid grounding on Albania and the Albanians, those who want to learn more on specific aspects can consult the helpful bibliography. Because a large proportion of the material in this dictionary has never appeared in English, it is to be hoped that most readers will discover new information to make the elusive Albanian nation more accessible to them.

Historical Dictionary of Albania (Historical Dictionaries of Europe)

Europe

Scarecrow Press

Kosova is an ancient land, yet it was only recently "discovered" by the Western world. It first caught the attention of the media during the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. Since that time, most books written about Kosova have concentrated on the 1998-1999 Kosova War, the appalling political oppression and human rights situation under Serb rule, the resulting humanitarian and security crisis, the current issue of status and independence, and the international politics thereof. Despite all of this sudden attention and the institutionalized presence of the international community there since 1999, Kosova as a country is still not well known. Historical Dictionary of Kosova presents Kosova in a broader framework, focusing not only on many of the above-mentioned issues that are still worthy of attention, but also on the country with its rich culture and long history. Kosova is a European country of more than two million people, a land of poets and writers, painters and sculptors, scholars and artists. It is a land of cultural monuments, including finely ornamented Ottoman mosques and old Orthodox churches and monasteries, of oriental bazaars, of battlefields, and of breathtaking landscapes. Kosova is also a country with substantial natural resources and with a young and optimistic population teeming to keep its homeland free and, at the same time, to make it an integral part of Europe. Herein, the reader will find more than 370 entries that profile figures of history, contemporary public figures and political leaders, and individuals who have made notable contributions to the arts and scholarship. Where not otherwise stated, these persons are of Albanian ethnicity. The dictionary entries are complemented by an introductory essay, chronology, and extensive bibliography. A large proportion of the material in this dictionary has never appeared in English, enabling readers of all levels to discover new information, making Kosova much more accessible.

Historical Dictionary of Kosova (Historical Dictionaries of Europe)

Albania is not well known by outsiders; it was deliberately closed to the outside world during the communist era. Now it has thankfully become free again, its borders are open and it can be visited, and it is increasingly integrating with the rest of Europe and beyond. Unfortunately, Albania has had its share of problems in the post-communist era; it's a land of destitution and despair, thanks in part to the Albanian mafia, which has turned the country into one of blood-feuds, kalashnikovs, and eternal crises. Yet, Albania is, in essence, a European nation like any other and will soon, it is to be hoped, advance and take its proper place in Europe and the world. The second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Albania relates the history of this little-known country through a detailed chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, appendixes, and over 700 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, and events; institutions and organizations; and political, economic, social, cultural, and religious facets.

Historical Dictionary of Albania (Volume 75) (Historical Dictionaries of Europe, 75)

As the seventh and probably last state to arise from the ruins of the former Yugoslavia, Kosovo is the newest country in Europe. For centuries, Kosovo, also known as Kosova, was part of the Ottoman Empire, and for most of the 20th century, it was a province of what was once Yugoslavia. After the military conflict in 1998-1999 and a period of administration by the United Nations, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008.Focusing not only on Kosovo's turbulent recent years, the second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Kosovo also relates the country's rich culture and long history. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, an extensive bibliography, and over 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on significant persons, places, and events; institutions and organizations; and political, economic, social, cultural, and religious facets. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Kosovo.

Historical Dictionary of Kosovo (Volume 79) (Historical Dictionaries of Europe, 79)

In some senses, Albania is a living museum of the past. Originally a small herding community in the most inaccessible reaches of the Balkans, the presence of Albanians in southeastern Europe has been documented for over a thousand years. Albanian traditional folk culture, which evolved over centuries of relative isolation, is surprisingly rich. Yet despite recent events this culture remains little known to the Western world. Due to the lasting effects of a half century of Stalinist dictatorship, very few individuals even in Albania know much about their own popular traditions. The Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture makes available for the first time a wealth of knowledge about Albanian popular belief and folk customs. Alphabetical entries shed light on blood feuding, figures of Albanian mythology, religious beliefs, communities, and sects, calendar feasts and rituals, and popular superstitions, as well as birth, marriage, and funeral customs, and sexual mores. This unique volume will stand as the standard reference work on the subject for years to come.

A Dictionary of Albanian Religion, Mythology, and Folk Culture

NYU Press

This comprehensive history of Albanian literature sheds light on an aspect of European culture which has remained virtually unknown until the recent dismantling of communism.

History of Albanian Literature

East European Monographs

This text examines contemporary Albanian literature and culture from an outsider's perspective, bringing major Albanian literary works to a wide audience.

Studies in Modern Albanian Literature and Culture (East European Monographs)

The breakup of Yugoslavia and the ensuing Balkan conflict had deep roots in the heart of the Balkans, in Kosovo, where the Albanian population struggles for autonomy and independence. This is a comprehensive survey of the Kosovo question from social, political, historical and literary perspectives.

Kosovo

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