Ngjitje në malin Tomorr , prill 2021

The Albanian Tomor(r) derives from the Illyrian Tómaros, from Proto-Indo-European *tómhxes-, "dark", akin to Latin tenebrae "darkness", temere "blindly, by chance", Old Irish temel "darkness", Middle Irish teimen "dark grey", Old High German demar "darkness", dinstar "dark", Old Church Slavonic tǐma "darkness", tǐmǐnǔ "dark".[8]



Illyrians called the mountain Tómaros.[8] It was the most prominent mountain in southern Illyria.[9] The mountain has been connected by modern scholars to Mount Amyron (Greek: Άμυρον), recorded by Stephanus of Byzantium (6th century AD) citing Hecataeus of Miletus (6th century BC). In the passage, it is reported that the Dexaroi, a Chaonian tribe, dwelled under this mountain.[10][11] The mountain was probably located in a region that in Roman times was called Dassaretis.[12] However, all these hypothetical connections remain uncertain.[13] Vibius Sequester (4th or 5th century AD) records the mountain with the name Tomarus, and locates it in the Roman province of Macedonia, near Apollonia.[14]

Among Byzantine authors the mountain was known as Tmoros (Greek: Τμόρος) or Timoros (Greek: Τίμορος).[15] During the reign of Byzantine Emperor Basil II, the sons of Bulgarian Tsar Ivad Vladislav fled in Tomorr to continue the war against the Byzantines after the collapse of First Bulgarian Empire in 1018, but soon surrendered as they reached an agreement and received great privileges.[16][17] The last Bulgarian governor of Berat was an Elimagos. The 13th century was a series of changes in the region. Manfred of Sicily and then Angevine Albania after 1271-2 held control of the area.[18] The fortress of Tomorr in the early 14th century is attested as Timoro(n) under Byzantine control. In 1337, the Albanian tribes which lived in the areas of Belegrita (the region of Mt. Tomorr) and Kanina rose in rebellion, and seized the fortress of Tomorr.[19][20][21] There is little detail about the rebellion in primary sources. John VI Kantakouzenos mentions that the Albanians in those areas rebelled despite the privileges which Andronikos III Palaiologos had given them a few years earlier.[20] These events marked the movement of these Albanian tribes into Epirus for the first time.[21] Andronikos led an army mainly composed of Turkish mercenaries, and defeated the Albanians, killing many and taking prisoners.[20]

In the 15th century the region of Mount Tomorr was intersted in the Albanian-Ottoman Wars. All the local chieftains on both sides of the Tomorr mountain range were loyal to Skanderbeg. In 1457 the Turks appear to have occupied a number of Albanian valleys. An Ottoman army under the leadership of Firuz Bey and Mihaloglu Ali Bey was sent westward and fought against the Albanian forces under Skanderbeg in the mountains of Albania in order to take possession of Kruje, Svetigrad and Berat. In Tomorr Skanderbeg won his bloodiest but also most brilliant victory on September 2, 1457. When Skanderbeg attacked Isa Bey's resting army, the Turks were taken completely by surprise and defeated. Sources report the massacre of 15.000 or, exaggerating, 30.000 soldiers of the Ottoman army. 15.000 prisoners, 24 horsetails of Ottoman commanders and the camp with all its precious contents fell into the hands of the Albanians.[22]