Hasan Moglica

Hoxhë Hasan Moglica commonly referred as Hoxhë Moglica, was an Albanian alim, müderris, engineer, philosopher, patriot, nationalist figure and proclaimed as martyr of Albanian language and nation by the Albanian government.

Life and work

Early life He was born Hasan Sulë Shermeti Moglica, in Moglicë village of Okshtun highland, part of lower Diber County, today's Albania, back then part of the Sanjak of Dibra of the Ottoman Empire. His family had migrated in the area from Dibër e madhe, the administrative center of that time. His father was a construction master and would take Hasan with him at a young age. Beside helping his father, he registered in the local schools. First, he attended the meytep (elementary religious school) in Peqin, and considering his results and the will of learning his father registered him in the Madrasa of Elbasan. There he learned the Turkish, old Ottoman, and Persian language. After finishing the madrasa, he went to Istanbul where he studied theology and engineering. He would be appointed as müderris in Gollobordë. Moglica opened a school in his area in 1904, and had transformed his 28-room house into a huge library, which was burnt down by the Turkish soldiers of Turgut Pasha in 1908. The Dibra newspaper declared as "Dibran of the century" in a voting-based survey in 1999. A museum dedicated to him is built in his village in Moglicë, Elbasan. Also, the united school in Okshtun i Madh (Engl. 'Big Okshtun'), in Bulqizë District has been named "Hasan Moglica".