Ibrahim Efendi

Ibrahim Efendi or Abrama Albanese (Alb: Pal Effendi) (Eng: Paul Anthony Effendi) (Ital: Paolo Antonio Affendi or Ibraim Achemet Turco hora Abraham Albanese Christiano) (born c. 1640-41, Albania) - (died c. 1697-99) was an Ottoman Albanian official, cleric, professor and doctor known for being the first Albanian hired by the Senate in Venice in order to teach in Turkish, Arabic and Persian. Before Venice, Effendi worked in Constantinople as a scholar of the Council of Ulama. He was secretly baptized in Pera around 1671 and fled to Venice in 1690 where he became known as Abramo Albanese. In 1692, Venice appointed him professor of Oriental languages and Efendi was to educate Venetian agents, known as ”Giovanni di lingua”. In 1693, he became a Dominican friar named Paolo Antonio Affendi. He translated several books of the Bible into Arabic. He educated students for a decade and after his death in 1697 or 99, Venice had difficulties replacing him. The Anglo-Saxon version of his name is Paul Anthony Effendi.