Tirana, October 1 – The Academy of Sciences of Albania held a conference on “Religious identities in Albanian lands from the late Middle Ages to the fall of the Ottoman Empire.”

The Institute of History, Department of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, organized it with the Ali Hadri Institute of History in Prishtina.

The conference offered a multidimensional view of religious history, institutions, and spiritual life in Albanian territories from the Middle Ages to the early twentieth century.

A main focus was cultural and religious identity. Researchers examined symbols and signs preserved in popular memory. Another key area was church and institutional structures. The Diocese of Drisht drew particular attention. Experts used archival sources and archaeological evidence. They also analyzed church life under the statutes of the Cathedral Chapter of medieval Drisht.

The Franciscan Order received special attention. Presenters highlighted its activity in Albanian lands during the Middle Ages and Ottoman period. They also noted contributions in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Archbishop Fran Leonardi of Tivar and his efforts to unite with the Orthodox Church illustrated the ecumenical challenges of the era.

Other sessions covered Orthodoxy in medieval Kosova. They added perspective on religious pluralism. Scholars examined religious architecture and material culture. The Sofi Sinan Pasha Mosque in Prizren stood out for its design and decorations. The transformation of mesjides into mosques in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries showed the Islamization process. Researchers also explored social structures and religious elites.

Finally, the conference discussed the modern period. Presenters traced the Protestant movement in Albanian vilayets from the late nineteenth century to the early twentieth century.

/a.p./