“Basic” Greek Education in the Sanjak of Gjirokastër, 1869-1913.
“Basic” Greek Education in the Sanjak of Gjirokastër, 1869-1913.

Summary/Abstract: This article examines Greek-language education in the sanjak of Gjirokastër during the late Ottoman period (1869–1913), emphasizing its role in fostering national consciousness and cultural continuity within a multiethnic imperial context. Drawing on unpublished archival documents, consular correspondence, records of educational associations, and patriarchal sources, the study reconstructs the network of actors involved in education, including the Ecumenical Patriarchate, local metropolises, lay associations, benefactors, and the Greek consulate. These actors operated both cooperatively and competitively, promoting Greek linguistic and cultural identity while navigating Ottoman authority. Associations such as the Association for the Propagation of Greek Literature (SDEG) and the Epirus Educational Association of Constantinople financed schools, teacher training, and scholarships, though chronic financial shortages, limited infrastructure, and administrative interference constrained the implementation of the ambitious curriculum, which combined classical studies with modern sciences. Educational practice emerged as a space of ideological contestation and social mobilization, with textbooks, national and religious celebrations, and church integration functioning as mechanisms of cultural memory and reinforcing collective belonging. The study demonstrates that Greek education in Gjirokastër served as both a spiritual and political stronghold of Hellenism, with institutional development shaped by the interplay of diplomacy, ecclesiastical authority, and civic initiative, laying the groundwork for the educational and national transformations leading to the modern Greek state.

• Details
• Contents