Once everyone knew him, while very few people have information about him. Thoma Turtulli is one of the most outstanding philanthropists that the Albanian nation has produced, thus donating the library, the high school, the hospital and the technical school to the city of Korça.

It is impossible to find today a bust of the man who perhaps gave the most to Korca.

Today, Thoma Turtulli is remembered only by the children’s library, which bears his name, and by the plaques of the institutions he donated, while his image is always fading.

Historian Niko Kotherja shows that Turtulli’s activity was diverse for the Albanian nation.

“Thoma Turtulli belongs to a very important family which has made an important contribution to philanthropy, but also to the Albanian national movement. This family with the orgy from Vithkuqi gave birth to a number of people who stand out in many ways, among them is Thoma Turtulli, one of the important names in the city of Korça and beyond. His name is inscribed in important chronicles of the time. In the submissions made by the parliament, it can be seen from the condolences that his family received when he passed away, the silence in honor of his figure in the parliament, telegrams from all over the world and others,” said Kotherja.

Many institutions in Korça are thanks to Thoma Turtulli and his family.

“The forgiveness they made to Korça with the library, the hospital and the lyceum happened in the name of Thoma Turtulli, while the technical school that today is the building of the technical hospital of Korça, it was donated by Athina Turtulli, from Thoma Turtulli’s wife,” said Kotherja.

State institutions take the blame for the lack of attention to this figure.

“In this part, the blame belongs to those institutions that deal with culture, which are city administrators, to bring to the attention of bright figures of the city, which without question should become a source of inspiration for the new generations and those who will come to it in the future. The call of a citizen’s conscience towards the cultural institutions that have the duty to dedicate themselves to the heritage, which radiates more than the yellow line of this city, without respect and value for these figures, it is impossible to recognize and inherit their values,” – explained Kotherja.

The busts of the philanthropist Thoma Turtulli and his wife Athina are placed in the lobby of the library in Korca.