Çelo Picari was an Albanian

Albanians

Albanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...

 freedom fighter and patriot of the 19th century.

Life

Born Xhelil Bega in 1802 in the old Picar

Picar

Picar is a municipality in the Gjirokastër District, Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. The municipality consists of the villages Picar, Shtëpëz, Kolonjë, Golem and Kaparjel....

, a settlement that is no longer inhabited and in ruins, but close to today's Picar, in southern Albania, he later preferred to be called Çelo Picari. In his youth he was a shepherd and at that time he was recruited by Ali Pasha

Ali Pasha

Ali Pasha of Tepelena or of Yannina, surnamed Aslan, "the Lion", or the "Lion of Yannina", Ali Pashë Tepelena was an Ottoman Albanian ruler of the western part of Rumelia, the Ottoman Empire's European territory which was also called Pashalik of Yanina. His court was in Ioannina...

 in Ioannina

Ioannina

Ioannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...

. In 1821 he commanded the troops of the Pashalik of Yannina that were defending Tepelenë against the Ottoman army. After Ali Pasha's defeat he was interned in Preveza

Preveza

Preveza is a town in the region of Epirus, northwestern Greece, located at the mouth of the Ambracian Gulf. It is the capital of the regional unit of Preveza, which is part of the region of Epirus. An immersed tunnel, completed in 2002 which runs between Preveza and Actium, connects the town...

.

He later participated in several uprisings with Zylyftar Poda but avoided getting killed in the Massacre of the Albanian beys

Massacre of the Albanian Beys

The Massacre of the Albanian beys occurred on 26 August 1830, when around 500 Albanian leaders and their personal guards were killed by Ottoman forces in the town of Manastir...

 by not responding to an invitation. As an act of revenge along with other groups under Kapllan Kuca he burnt part of center of Ioannina, where the Ottoman garrison lived. As a result of his participation in the Albanian Revolts of 1833–1839 he was imprisoned in Konya

Konya

Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The metropolitan area in the entire Konya Province had a population of 1,036,027 as of 2010, making the city seventh most populous in Turkey.-Etymology:...

 until 1844.

Picari participated in the Albanian Revolt of 1847

Albanian Revolt of 1847

The Albanian Revolt of 1847 was a 19th century uprising in southern Albania directed against Ottoman Tanzimat reforms which started in 1839 and were gradually being put in action in the regions of Albania. One of the characteristics of the uprising was the absence of known bey families among its...

 along with Tafil Buzi

Tafil Buzi

Tafil Buzi was an Albanian leader and fighter, known for his role in various rebellions against Ottoman government in South Albania during the Albanian Revolts of 1833-1839. During his activity he had relations with Muhammad Ali of Egypt and Greek politicians. For his continuous conspiracies he...

 and Zenel Gjoleka

Zenel Gjoleka

Zenel Gjoleka was an Albanian revolutionary famous for his role in Albanian revolt of 1847 also known as Zenel Gjoleka revolt. After those events he was pardoned by Abdülmecid I, the Sultan of Ottoman Empire at that time. In 1852 he died fighting as a mercenary against Montenegrin...

 and his is among the names of the Albanians who asked Otto of Greece

Otto of Greece

Otto, Prince of Bavaria, then Othon, King of Greece was made the first modern King of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the Great Powers .The second son of the philhellene King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended...

 for help in their uprising against the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

. When Picari was captured he was again interned in Konya until 1852. Picari died in Athens

Athens

Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...

, Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

 in 1880. Picari was close friends with Ismail Vlora, the grandfather of Ismail Qemali

Ismail Qemali

Ismail Qemal Bej Vlora or commonly Ismail Qemali and in Turkish İsmail Kemal Bey or İsmail Kemal Vlora , was a distinguished leader of the Albanian national movement, founder of the modern Albanian state and its first head of state and government.-Life:He was born in Avlonya to a noble family...

, the founder of modern Albania

Albania

Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...

.

Folklore

Çelo Picari is a frequent subject of southern Albanian folk songs regarding Ali Pasha

Ali Pasha

Ali Pasha of Tepelena or of Yannina, surnamed Aslan, "the Lion", or the "Lion of Yannina", Ali Pashë Tepelena was an Ottoman Albanian ruler of the western part of Rumelia, the Ottoman Empire's European territory which was also called Pashalik of Yanina. His court was in Ioannina...

 and the Albanian Revolt of 1847

Albanian Revolt of 1847

The Albanian Revolt of 1847 was a 19th century uprising in southern Albania directed against Ottoman Tanzimat reforms which started in 1839 and were gradually being put in action in the regions of Albania. One of the characteristics of the uprising was the absence of known bey families among its...

. These songs include among other lyrics that compare him to the Souliot Markos Botsaris

Markos Botsaris

Markos Botsaris was a Souliote captain and a hero of the War of Greek Independence. Markos Botsaris is among the most revered national heroes in Greece.-Early life:...

.

Albanian Albanian language Albanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...

English English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

Marko Boçari suliot, Qan e të këput me lot, Se me Çelon se del dot, Është djalë picariot

Mark Botsaris from Souli Souli Souli is a municipality in Epirus, northwestern Greece. It was originally settled by both Greek and Albanian refugees who were hunted by the Ottomans in Thesprotia, Greece and Laberia, Albania. In early modern times, it was inhabited by about 12,000 Souliotes. After their expulsion the population... , Cries and can't stop, 'Cause he can't be better than Çelo, Who is a Picar boy