university of nova gorica graduate school contested spaces and ...

In the archival sources, not only Ottoman, but even the European countries (Austro-
Hungarian, French etc.), many documents having as object the analysis of the national
constitution of the population of the vilayet of Janina (of South Albania) – there is no
doubt the Albanian nationality of the Himarë population and of her villages. In the
documents of the XVI-th – XIX-th centuries, presented in this study, it is witnessed
clearly its Albanian ethnic belonging and it is accepted without any doubt, the use by
the Himariots as mother tongue of the Albanian language [sic.]( Prifti 2004: 188).
In the later part of his essay, Prifti sees the strategic position, vicinity of the Greek Islands and
the gradual development of trading relations as the main reasons for introducing the Greek
language in the villages of Himarë/Himara area. Prifti goes on saying that the use of Greek
language was also promoted through church and education in the period of the Byzantine
Empire (13 th to 16 th century) (ibid.).
Shaban Sinani also, sees the strategic position of Himarë/Himara area as one of the reasons
for development of trading relations. Sinani writes that with trading relations Himarë/Himara
people oriented themselves to the “West, initially to ask for the political salvation […]”
(Sinani 2004: 349). While writing about “ethnotype” of the Himarë/Himara people, Sinani
notes:
The ethno-regional contraction, differently from the hinterland, led to an
argumentation of the marine time activities. In historical circumstances, after the
complete placement of the Ottoman regime, the region of Himarë was constrained, and
step by step the Thunderbolt Mountain (Mali i Vetetimes) received the importance of
the frontier between the Laberia and the coast, something which cannot be proved for
the earlier periods, at least not until the Tanzimat Reforms. The local population
turned its eyes to the Holy See and to the kings of the West, put its hopes to these
powers, reoriented its life towards the see and connected it with the sea, with the
commerce, fishing, and with the other communities ethnically different from itself. If
the first led to some unimportant differentiations in the character of the Albanian
ethno-type (e.g. the Islamization of Laberia, the conservancy of the Christianity by the
Himariots who had greater hopes) the second led also to some following cultural
impact, which can be proved with the introduction of the Greek language as working
means of communication […] [sic.] (ibid.).
With a somehow similar discourse, but different political positions as the narrators of stories
of Meghalihora origin of the Himarë/Himara people, the authors listed above discuss about
their origin and relate it to the “Illyrian Society” (cf. Korkuti). Based on archaeological
findings and the architectonics, the origin of Himarë/Himara people represents an important
part of the “Illyro-Albanian history” (cf. Riza). As Bërxholi notes, Himarë/Himara area has
been populated “since early times” and this proves that the area is part of the “Albanian ethnic
land”. Along with the mentioned scholars, Prifti also follows the idea of continuity and unity
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