Korça opens exhibition dedicated to Aromanian heritage on Balkan Romance Day

2026-05-10 15:45:00, Qyteti im CNA

Korça opens exhibition dedicated to Aromanian heritage on Balkan Romance

As part of the Balkan Romance Day, which is celebrated every May 10, the exhibition "Journey through the Balkans to the Aromanians of Bulgaria, the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania" was opened in Korça.

The event was organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute, in collaboration with the Cultural Association “Aromanians of Albania”, Korça branch, and the Romanian Information Center. Opened at the Cultural Center near the Aromanian Church of Saint Sotir, the exhibition brings to the public around 100 photographs that reflect the history, language, traditions and identity of the Aromanian communities in the Balkans.

This exhibition aims to preserve cultural memory and strengthen ties between Aromanian communities in Albania, Bulgaria and North Macedonia, highlighting the common heritage of Balkan Romanism.

"This exhibition, organized in collaboration with the Romanian Cultural Institute, is very important for us because today, May 10, marks the Day of the Romanians of the Balkans. It is an important day, proclaimed by law by the Romanian Parliament in 2021, during the mandate of the former President of Romania. The Romanians of the Balkans, including the Aromanians, Megleno-Romanians and Eastern Romanians, celebrate this day as a symbol of the connection between the Romanian populations of the South and the North," says Manuela Navaci, Professor at the Romanian Academy of Sciences.

This date is closely linked to a historical moment for the Aromanian community. In 1905, Sultan Abdul Hamid II officially recognized the Balkan Romanians as a separate community, granting them the right to open schools and churches in their own language, as well as to elect local representatives in the areas where they lived.

"In 1905, Sultan Abdul Hamid II issued a decree that recognized the Romanians in the Balkans as a separate community. Through this act, they were given the right to open schools and churches, as well as to elect their local representatives in the communities where they lived. This is precisely why this day is very important for us. I am an Aromanian and we hope that, starting from this moment, every year, on May 10, this day will also be celebrated in Korça," says Navaçi.

The exhibition will remain open to visitors over the coming days, offering a unique journey into the history and culture of one of the Balkans' earliest communities. /CNA