On the occasion of November 22 – the Day of the Albanian Alphabet, the Faculty of Philology organized a solemn event to recall the historical importance of the Congress of Manastir and its fundamental role in unifying the writing of the Albanian language. The activity opened with verses by Gjergj Fishta, highlighting the spiritual and identity significance of our mother tongue.

The event was declared open by the head of the Albanian Language and Literature study program, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Albulena Dehari. She stated that November 22 marks not just a date on the calendar, but a visionary act that gave our language a unified form, a common voice, and an unshakable foundation for the cultural, educational, and social development of Albanians wherever they live. According to her, the 1908 Congress of Manastir was not merely a gathering of scholars; it was a unique moment of national consciousness, a testament to the power of unity and the determination to preserve and develop our linguistic identity.

Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Izmit Durmishi provided an overview of the historical development of the Albanian language, emphasizing the importance of the unified alphabet and the decisions of the Congress of Manastir. The Congress included 32 voting delegates representing 26 different Albanian cities and societies both within and outside the country, as well as 18 additional delegates who participated without voting rights. In this way, the Congress of Manastir became an all-Albanian assembly, with a total of 50 delegates coming from regions of Albania: from cities in the vilayets of Shkodra, Kosovo, and Manastir, as well as from Albanian societies in Sofia, Bucharest, Ioannina, Istanbul, the United States, Egypt, Italy, and other locations.

The event dedicated to the Day of the Alphabet was enriched with artistic performances by students of the Department of Albanian Language and Literature: Altina Sulemani, Ezana Qamili, Rexhije Sulejmani, Altina Ibrahimi, and Erza Qira, who performed the poems “My Albania” by Lindita Ahmeti and “The Albanian Language” by Ismail Kadare.

The event concluded with a violin performance by Benjamin Menga, a student at the Faculty of Arts.