On November 3, 1879, about 138 years ago, in Athens a newspaper was printed in Albanian with the title “Voice of Albania” by Anastas Kullurioti.

This fact is a clear evidence that the Albanian language was not only spoken, but also publicly published in Greece, at a time when Albanians – especially Arvanitas – constituted an important social, cultural and political layer.

At that period, Athens and many areas of Greece spoke Albanian in daily life, especially from the Arvanite population, which played a key role in forming the modern Greek state. The “Voice of Albania” newspaper served as the voice of Albanian national consciousness, addressing the issue of unification of Albanian lands, in accordance with the spirit of the National Renaissance and the reaction to the disintegration of Albanian lands after the Berlin Congress (1878).

This publication proves that:

Albanian was a living language written in Athens

The Albanian national idea was also articulated outside today’s lands of Albania

Arvanitas and Albanians had developed political and cultural awareness

History is not hidden in silence. Documents talk – and this page from 1879 is one of them.

There is a historical cover of the newspaper “The Voice of Albania” (originally / “gazeta” / The Voice of Albania), published in Athens in 1879 under the direction of ANASTAS KULLURIOTI.

The newspaper “Voice of Albania” was an early effort of the Albanian-political press that was published in Athens between 1879–1880, in part Greek and part Albanian.

Below is a cover of the newspaper issue as documented by archive sources.