Kristo Sulidhi

Kristo Sulidhi, also known as Kristo Shuli, was an Albanian photographer and writer of the 19th and early 20th century. He was born in Marjan, a village in the region of Opar, in 1858. He emigrated to Greece, where he wrote for the weekly The Voice of Albania, edited by Anastas Kullurioti. One of his most important poems was a ballad of 150 verses entitled The Albanians who fight in Gucia. He returned to Albania and worked in Korçë as a photographer. One of his most important photos is the one that documented the first Albanian school, opened in 1887. Shuli was a Protestant and close friend of Gjerasim Qiriazi, the founder of the Protestant Church of Albania. He was excommunicated by the Orthodox Church for his faith, and buried his son in his own garden when he died at the age of 20. Shuli was also known for photographing many people involved in the Rilindja movement, such as Shahin Matraku and Kajo Babjeni. He died in Korçë in 1938.