Albania Lab music and Turkish schools

You can see the fruit of 500 years of coexistence the moment you step foot in the country, most noticeably by the number of Turkish words and phrases that you will hear. In Albania you don’t feel like you are in a strange place, because regardless of which part of Albania you are in there is a love and respect for the Turkish people, a legacy of Ottoman rule. Some of the cities in Albania are Tirana, Berat, Shkoder, Durres, Elbasan and Vlore. Albanians refer to their country as Shqiperia, or “the Land of Eagles.” The capital of Albania is Tirana, which used to be a small town but is now the most populous city in the country.

Albanian folk music is quite popular, and the traditional music of Albania’s Lab ethnic group is particularly well known, with many folk groups performing this type of music. Many put on special shows for tourists’ enjoyment. The most popular group performing this type of music is the Vranisht Polyphonic Band. The band was established in 1957 by musicians from the village of Vranisht in southern Albania. Their repertoire consists of traditional songs and dances from Laberia, a southern region of Albania. The lyrics include many jokes and make people laugh. Sometimes the songs tell stories of weddings, wars and heroism.

The members of the band are trained from a young age. The groups that make up the band range in age from 6-10, 15-20 and 40-60. The Vranisht Polyphonic Band has won many national prizes. The band also uses a musical instrument called the Duyara, made of wood or marble, produced only in Laberia. This popular instrument contributes to the band’s unique polyphonic sound.

A group of five Turkish teachers went to Albania in 1992 to lay the foundations for a Turkish school, which opened in February 1993. During the school’s opening, late President Turgut Özal expressed his hope that the school would serve as a bridge between the people of Turkey and Albania. “Opening this school, which is named after Mehmet Akif Ersoy, will improve relations between Turkey and Albania and has been a great pleasure for me. Have no doubt that education is the most important investment. Of course, resources and other things are important as well, but the most important thing is people, good and qualified people. My prayer is that the young girls and boys that are educated at this school will play a significant role in the creation of a better Albania. I also hope that they will serve as a bridge between the Turkish and Albanian people,” he said. Özal spoke these words just two months before he died.

The private Mehmet Akif Ersoy College, which was the first Turkish school to open in Albania, became very successful in a short period of time, and it is highly valued by the Albanian people. Due to the increasing number of potential students, Turkish schools have started to provide daycare, elementary and secondary educational services. Turkish schools are the best and largest private schools in Albania. Around 3,000 students attend these schools.

1) A folkloric dance groupo in Shkoder, 2) A mosque in Berat, 3) The Osumi River and Gorica Bridge, 4) Houses in Berat, 5) A Lab music folklore group in Vlore.

To be admitted into a private Turkish school in Albania students must take an entrance exam and, in this country which has a population of approximately 3.5 million, every year more than 1,000 students take this exam. The schools do charge tuition fees. Their vision is to raise educated, socially aware, morally conscious and idealistic young people who are tolerant of all beliefs and points of view. The goal of the schools is to contribute to finding a common ground and improving the friendship between the Albanian and Turkish communities and to raise an educated, patriotic generation that can proudly represent Albania in every sector and help their country to fully integrate into the global community.

Turkish schools are very popular in Albania and due to great demand several new Turkish schools have been opened. One of these is Turgut Özal College, which spans an area of over 13 hectares. Former Education Minister Hüseyin Çelik participated in the opening ceremony of the first Turgut Özal High School and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated in the second one. After visiting the Turkish school, Prime Minister Erdoğan wrote the following in the school’s guestbook:

“I had the opportunity to visit the Turgut Özal College on the occasion of my official visit to our friend and brother country Albania. It filled me with emotions. It made me proud. I witnessed what Turkish entrepreneurs have the capacity to do abroad. I congratulate the entire administration for the steps they’ve taken in the field of education. I pray that their success continues and increases. With regards and love, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.”

Many government workers in Albania send their children to Turkish schools. In Albania it is a privilege to be able to attend a Turkish school. As in many other parts of the world, Turkish schools have become an institution in Albania.