The only lute player in Albania/ A thousand-year-old tradition that lives in the hands of a woman

Sounds that come from the depths of centuries. Songs of courage that have accompanied the highlanders in every season of history. Researchers say that the lute, in the homes of the mountains, has always stood next to the rifle. It has been the pencil and notebook with which the highlanders have written, sung, inherited and inspired an entire world.

This is Lumturije Nonaj. Dressed in the traditional dress of the Greater Highlands, with a lute in her hand and thousands of years of history on her shoulders, writes abcnews.

Originally from Shkreli in the Greater Highlands, Lumturije Nonaj is known not only as the only lute player in Albania, but also as a person who has contributed for decades to the preservation of national traditions and values.

The lute, this emblematic instrument of Albanian culture, is now officially part of the world heritage.

For him, the acceptance of the Lute on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list is an extraordinary event and an appreciation that touches his soul.

The only female lute player in all of Albania says that the lute is a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation. Lumturija says that there is a lack of interest among girls in learning the lute. She invites all girls to get closer to this instrument, so that this rare tradition is not lost.

She also explains how the lute is tuned, what makes its sound special, and why it requires a hand to understand it.

Usually, the lute was a tool held by men. But Lumturija broke taboos and today she is baptized with the name "The Fairy of the Mountains".

The lute is not only sung about the brave and the brave. It is also sung about love, about longing, about pain and joy. Even Happiness herself sings about all of them.