Valona was conquered by the Ottomans in June 1417. In 1431, the
Sanjak of Albania was created out of areas in present-day western Albania. At the end of the 15th century, in order to stimulate trading, Ottomans settled small community of
Sephardi Jews.
Gedik Ahmed Pasha was
sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Avlona in 1479. Bali Bey, son of Yahya Pasha, became sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Avlona in 1506. Mehmed Beg Isaković, son of
Isa-Beg Isaković, was appointed as sanjabey of Avlona in January 1516. Muzaffer Pasha was sanjakbey of Avlona before he was appointed for the first governor of
Cyprus in 1570, after Cyprus was captured by the Ottoman Empire. Mustafa Pasha (Bin Abdullah), who had been on position of sanjakbey of Bosnia and
Morea, was sanjakbey of Valona at the end of the 16th century and beginning of the 17th century. Avlonya was captured by Venetians in 1690, but it was recaptured by Ottomans in 1691. In 1691, centre of sanjak was relocated to Berat and the sanjak was gradually named as Sanjak of Berat. Sari Ahmed Pasha was appointed as sanjakbey of Avlona at the end of 1712 and in the 1714 he was transferred to position of
beglerbeg of
Rumelia. In the middle of the 18th century a sanjakbey of the Sanjak of Avlona was
Ahmet Kurt Pasha from the
Muzaka family who was later appointed to the position of
derbendci aga (guardian of the mountain passes) which he held until the sultan appointed Ahmet's grandson,
Ali Pasha Tepelena, instead of him. In 1809, the sanjakbey of the Avlona was Ibrahim Pasha. According to
Eqrem Vlora members of his family were
de facto (not
de jure) sanjakbeys of Sanjak of Avlona in period 1481—1828. In 1834 Mahmood Hamdi pasha was appointed to govern the
Sanjak of Delvina,
Yanina and Avlona.
Ismail Kemal, the first prime minister of Albania, was elected a member of
Ottoman parliament in December 1908 for the Sanjak of Berat. == References ==