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The Meshari is a masterpiece of early Albanian literature. It proves that the Albanian language had developed enough structure and vocabulary by the 16th century to handle complex religious and philosophical concepts. Buzuku’s language is rich, archaic, and surprisingly uniform, showing that he was a master of his native tongue. The orthography (spelling system) he used was based largely on Latin and Italian traditions, adapted for Albanian sounds.

For centuries, the book remained unknown to the wider world. It was discovered in 1740 by Bishop Gjon Nikollë Kazazi in the Library of the Vatican, only to be "lost" again and finally rediscovered in 1909 by Pal Skiroi. Cultural Identity:

Only one original copy of the Meshari survives today. It resides in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vatican Library), discovered in 1740 by Gjon Nikollë Kazazi, an Albanian archbishop. Because the original is priceless and inaccessible to the public, the has become the standard tool for research.

Because the original work is nearly 500 years old and resides in the Vatican Library, most digital versions are either scans of the original or scholarly transcriptions. : You can find a 187-page digital copy of the Meshari (Gjon Buzuku) uploaded by independent users. : A searchable, flip-book version of MESHARI i Gjon Buzukut 1555