Toptani Family
The Toptani were a leading noble family in central Albania at the beginning of the 20th century.
They belonged to a small number of noble families appointed by the Ottomans who used local chieftains to control Ottoman Albania more easily. Essad Pasha Toptani, a family patriarch, claimed that the family descended from the Thopia family. According to some sources, the name is derived from the word top, which means cannon, as the family owned a cannon at a time when artillery was rare.
| Toptani | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
| Current region | Central Albania |
| Place of origin | Krujë |
| Members | |
| Estate(s) | 50,000 hectares between Durres and Tirana |
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Estates
The Toptani family initially lived in Krujë before moving to Tirana during the 17th century, when many sipahis moved from rural regions of the Ottoman Empire to cities. Their move from Krujë to Tirana probably contributed to the development of sharecropping in Albania.
The Toptani family possessed around 50,000 hectares near Tirana and Durrës and remained one of the main landowners until the end of the Second World War. The 19th century house of the Toptani family situated in the centre of Tirana was turned into a museum.
Notable members
Notable members of the family include:
- Abdi Toptani
- Blendi Fevziu (adopted)
- Essad Toptani
- Fuad Toptani
- Gani Toptani
- Murad Toptani
- Sadije Toptani, Queen Mother of the Albanians
References
External links
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