Sheper (definite form: Sheperi) is a community in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. Sheperi is the largest village of the former Zagori municipality. At the 2015 local government reform it became part of the municipality Libohovë. It is mountain village located 30km from the city of Gjirokastër, about 900 meters above sea level. Due to heavy migration, its current population is about 100 inhabitants.[citation needed] Sheper is inhabited by an Orthodox Albanian population.
Demographics
Sheper is inhabited by an Orthodox Albanian population and some Aromanian families. The Aromanian presence in Sheper dates to the 20th century when during the communist era in Albania they settled in the area.
Mountain Rapavica, viewed from SheperSunset in SheperDhëmbel, a well-known mountain in Albania
Aristidh Ruci, (11 March 1875 – 11 April 1950) was one of the signatories of Albanian Declaration of Independence in 1912. He campaigned for the spread of education in Southern Albania and was a founder of the nationalist Labëria club.
12Kallivretakis, Leonidas (1995). "Η ελληνική κοινότητα της Αλβανίας υπό το πρίσμα της ιστορικής γεωγραφίας και δημογραφίας [The Greek Community of Albania in terms of historical geography and demography." In Nikolakopoulos, Ilias, Kouloubis Theodoros A. & Thanos M. Veremis (eds). Ο Ελληνισμός της Αλβανίας [The Greeks of Albania]. University of Athens. p. 34. "Στα πλαίσια της επιτόπιας έρευνας που πραγματοποιήσαμε στην Αλβανία (Νοέμβριος-Δεκέμβριος 1992), μελετήσαμε το ζήτημα των εθνοπολιτισμικών ομάδων, όπως αυτές συνειδητοποιούνται σήμερα επί τόπου. [As part of the fieldwork we held in Albania (November–December 1992), we studied the issue of ethnocultural groups, as they are realized today on the spot.]"; p. 51. "ΑΧ Αλβανοί Ορθόδοξοι Χριστιανοί, "; p.56 "SHEPERI ΣΕΠΕΡΗ. 253 ΑΧ".
12Kahl, Thede (1999). Ethnizität und räumliche Verbreitung der Aromunen in Südosteuropa. Universität Münster: Institut für Geographie der Westfälischen Wilhelms. ISBN3-9803935-7-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link) p. 133. R. Rrămăn (Aromunen mit der Eigenbezeichnung Rrămăn = Farscheroten, Arvanitovlachen)"; p. 146. "Sheper... einige familie R; zu kommunischtischer Zeit angesiedelte aromunische Bevölkerungsgruppen aus südostalbanischen Gebirgen und aus Greichenland."