Marka Gjoni

Marka Gjoni was born in 1861 in Orosh, Mirdita, Ottoman Empire (modern day Albania). He came from a Bektashi family and was the son of a prominent politician and diplomat. He assumed leadership of Mirdita in 1883 after the absence of Prenk Bib Doda, who was captured and exiled to Kostamun, Turkey due to his participation in the Albanian League of Prizren. [1](^1^) Between the years of 1883 and 1909, when Prenk Bib Doda was released and returned to Mirdita, Marka Gjoni was instrumental in accomplishing a number of historical events. Alongside Mons. Doçi of Orosh, and at the request of some Catholics in Shkodra, Marka Gjoni convinced the Monsignor to conduct the first mass at the church of Our Lady of Shkodra in Baçallek, which had remained closed since Shkodra fell in the hands of the Turks in 1479. Thus on April 26, 1889, exactly 410 years later, Mons. Doçi administered the first Holy Mass. It was a very important and historical event and to this day a Mass is held on April 26 at the church in honor of Our Lady of Shkodra. The following year, 1890, saw the rededication of the church of St. Mark in Lac Vau i Dejes, which marked the beginning of the congregation's revival of worship services. 1890 also saw the merger of 13 diocesan churches in Mirdita due to Marka Gjoni's close relationship with Mons. Doçi. In 1896, Marka Gjoni's younger brother Ded Gjoni was killed by Turkish soldiers on his way to Orosh. This event began a downward spiral for the House of Gjomarku. The following year, Marka Gjoni was summoned to Shkodra by the Governor under false pretenses. He was caught and put on a ferry to Istanbul. From there, he was exiled for five years in Mosul, Iraq. [2](^2^) After five years, with the help of some nuns, Marka Gjoni was able to escape his exile dressed as a pilgrim, wearing a beard and pulling a donkey, which was bought for that purpose. He infiltrated a caravan of Bedouins and set off to Mecca, pretending to be a pilgrim. A few weeks later, he headed to the Russian border, where he convinced the guards that he was not a Bedouin but a Catholic Albanian who had escaped from exile in Mosul. From there, he went to Odessa and boarded a Russian ferry bound for a Bulgarian port. Ultimately, he made his way back to Orosh where he was welcomed with open arms by his people who were glad that their Kapidan had returned. Marka Gjoni resumed his role as Kapidan after the assassination of Prenge Bibe Dode on March 22, 1919. Once again he was in conflict with the government, but this time it was the newly established government of Ahmet Zog, who was elected Prime Minister in 1920. Zog aimed to destroy Mirdita, believing it to be the strong center of Albanian nationalism, thus intending to divide the nation in two and launch an offensive against the northern region. In 1921, with financial support from Belgrade, Marka Gjoni rebelled against the Albanian government and proclaimed Mirdita as independent and served as its president during its short existence. His republic did not receive recognition from other countries. Marka Gjoni's presidency was extinguished by the Albanian government the same year. Marka Gjoni fled to Yugoslavia, but later returned to Albania and remained active in the political life of the highlands. [2](^2^) He died in 1925 in Albania. He was a patriot, historian, and publicist who devoted his life to the cause of Albania and its people.