By Ben Andoni
Four months ago an association of patriots from Tapelena, (200 km south of Tirana), launched an attempt to bring the head of Ali Pasha returned to Albania. The association has officially sought the assistance of the Albanian authorities to open negotiations with Turkish counterparts, to have the Head of Ali Pasha of Tepelena, one of the most controversial figures of history, reinstated to Albania. So far the only physical evidence of the existence of Ali Pasha we have is a white felt hat which is in the National Museum (in the Special Fund), not on display, and an ink well that belonged to his Chronicler. The properties of Ali, in the village of Becisht, Tepelena lie in ruins and have not been declared “monuments of culture.” Even the castle of Ali Pasha in the township of Tepelena, though it has been declared a monument of culture, has been reduced almost to ruins as well; local villagers have taken over the interior of the castle, illegally building their homes there, almost completely destroying this historical site. There are very few people in Albania who know the real origin and facts about Ali Pasha of Tepelena. For most it is sufficient to draw on the information provided in the novel (of the same name) written by the well known Albanian author Sabri Godo, or on the memoirs of Lords Byron, Hobhouse or other travelers; or refer to his massacre at Kardhiq.
The endeavor
The procedures to have the head of Ali Pasha of Tepelena brought back to Albania are similar to those used in the past to bring the remains of other distinguished figures of Albanian history home. The last case was the return of the remains of the ideologist of the National Renaissance, Abdyl Frash쳩 on the occasion of the jubilee celebration of the Centenary of the Albanian League of Prizren in 1978. In the time of the Monarchy in 1937, the remains of his brother, the celebrated poet of the Albanian Renaissance Naim Frash쳩 were brought home.
Where are the remains of Ali Pasha?
Ali Pasha of Tepelena is one of the most illustrious figures of 19th Century Albania. Very few figures of this nation have been referred to as much as Ali Pasha. “In February, 1822 his head was exhibited in Istanbul after having been executed in YanninaŮ” “On 5 February,1822, Ali Pascha went down fighting, arms in hand, at the Monastery of St. Panteleimon on the Island of Lake Yannina. On 23 February 1822, his head was sent to Istanbul where it was displayed before the public. Some days later it was buried by an Albanian Dervish, who marked the spot with the inscription: “Here rests the head of the famous Ali Pascha of Tepelena, former Governor of Yannina, who for more than thirty years ruled independently in Albania.” The Head of Ali Pascha and the graves of his sons Veli and Myftar are to be found today at Ejub in Istanbul. The grave holding the rest of the remains of Ali Pascha is in Yannina. This grave had iron railings around it which were stolen by the Germans in World War Two, but which the local authorities later replaced after the war.
The final moments of Ali
On 23 January, 1822 the Ottoman forces overran the Castle of Yannina, with the exception of a very small space deep in its interior where Ali Pascha was cornered with about fifty of his most faithful warriors and his wife, Vasiliqi. Under these circumstances, there was no chance that Ali Pascha could resist for long. Betrayed by his own associates as well who had been bought by Hurshid Pascha and promised that Ali Pascha’s life would be spared, Ali fell into the trap of the Ottoman Chief Commander. He assured Ali Pascha that the Sultan had signed his Pardon which could not be enforced without Ali first withdrawing to the island on the Lake and surrendering his last stronghold, where he persevered alone in his last resistance. “Ali Pascha killed the envoy of Hurshid Pascha, who, instead of the speech promised, read out his death sentence – says The History of Albania.
In retrospect
“The Vezir was short and rotund. He had a very pleasant, round face and pale skin. He had clear blue eyes that darted from object to object and you immediately understood that you were not standing before an Oriental Pascha. He had a long, white beard that fell to his chestƈe received us with the utmost courtesy and indulged us to the degree of calling us his sons. For a man of that status, he was exceptionally jovial. In no other region of Turkey that we visited, did I see a Pascha laugh in that manner. He didn’t have any special escort of guards, but merely four or five young Albanian males bearing their beautiful Albanian cloaks and with long locks that fell to their shoulders.” This description by Lord Hobhouse, travel companion of Lord Byron, is probably the most accurate description. At that time he had a strikingly handsome head. Then it all became myth. His body in Yannina and his head in Istanbul.
