Today, Albanians bid their last farewell to the well-known writer Ismail Kadare, who passed away at the age of 88, on the morning of July 1.

Kadare suffered a "cardio-respiratory arrest" at his home and died at the QSUT hospital in Tirana.

At the Opera and Ballet Theater in Tirana, tributes are being held in honor of the colossus of Albanian literature.

The heads of state from Albania and Kosovo are in Tirana to escort the writer to his last residence with high honors.

Also present at this event was the head of the Freedom party, Ilir Meta, who said that Ismail Kadare raised Albania to the top of world literature when the country was more isolated than ever.

"To say goodbye to the genius of the nation who with his pen raised Albania and Albanians to the top of world literature when Albania was more isolated than ever. A new era was preceded by sacrifice. The memory of our great and inimitable writer will be eternal", declared Meta in a short statement to the media. /Euronews.al/