1. Qemal Butka was an Albanian architect, painter, politician, and postage stamps engraver.
11 Facts About Qemal Butka
1. 2.
Qemal Butka is known for projecting several monuments and buildings in Albania.
3.
Qemal Butka was born in 1907 in the village of Butke, Ottoman Empire, now in the Kolonje District, modern Albania.
4.
Qemal Butka's father was killed during World War I, and he was raised by his uncle and Albanian patriot, Sali Butka.
5.
In 1931, upon graduation, Qemal Butka returned to Albania and worked mostly on architectural projects.
6.
Qemal Butka distinguished himself in the construction of villas in Tirana, Durres and other Albanian cities, which still stand today as testimony of a very solid architecture.
7.
Qemal Butka is known to have engraved many series of postage stamps, distinguishing himself in the philately field; his stamps' series of the 25th anniversary of the Albanian Independence will be remembered as a notable series.
8.
From 21 October 1935 to 7 November 1936 Qemal Butka was nominated as mayor by Mehdi Frasheri, then Prime Minister of Albania.
9.
In 1939, after Fascist Italy invaded Albania, Qemal Butka emigrated to Turkey via Greece along with Albanian writer Branko Merxhani.
10.
Several times Qemal Butka tried to visit Albania as a US citizen, but his entry was refused by Communist authorities.
11.
Qemal Butka managed to do so only in 1987 through Austria after the death of Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha.