On The Cohabitation of Orient and Oxident in the Balkans

The Balkans, as a bridge where the oriental cultures meet the West, is also a space for the coexistence and integration of these two major cultures and civilizations. Indeed, the cohabitation of Oriental and Western cultures in the Balkans has a long history of interaction, and can therefore serve as a real paradigm for multicultural and civilization-building approaches. As one of the basic elements of cultural interaction and influence, language is also the meeting point of cultures and civilizations. Such is the case of the Arabic influence in the Balkans, especially with Albanians who after their conversion to Islam and integration in the Ottoman civilization chave been in direct contact with the Arabic and Oriental linguistic philosophy and terminology. This, among other things, is the reason why the Arabic language has left traces in Albanian while on the other hand the philosophical and cultural terms have influenced the formation of the civilization and cultural worldview of Albanians.