The “Congress of Manastir” aimed at standardizing the Albanian alphabet, was held in Bitola (then Manastir) from November 14 to November 22, 1908. At this period Bitola city was important military and administrative center in the European part of the Ottoman Empire.
Before the Congress in Bitola, the Albanian language was presented as a combination of six or more different alphabets, with numerous sub-variants. About fifty delegates from different parts of the Balkan Peninsula participated in the congress, of which thirty-two had the right to vote.
Today, the date November 22 is celebrated as national holiday in Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia. The building in Bitola where the congress was held today is transformed into a museum.
The Museum of the Albanian Alphabet was opened on November 22, 2012, and in the reconstructed building are placed photographs, documents and wax figures that affirm the revival, cultural and advanced movements of the Albanian people.
