Tirana

Tirana is 110 m above sea level. The average annual temperatures are in July 24°C and in January 7°C. Annual rainfalls are 1200m per year. Tirana is on the same parallel as Naples, Madrid and Istanbul and on the same meridian as Budapest and Krakow. Sulejman Pasha from the village of Mullet founded Tirana in 1614. In the beginning, he built a mosque, a bakery and a Turkish sauna. Two centuries later the Toptani family led the city from Kruja. There exist four theories about the origins of the name Tirana: First, it is thought that Tirana comes from the word Theranda found in ancient Greek and Latin sources because those living there called it Të ranat ("fallen material"), because the plain was formed as a result of the strong materials which were brought by the water from the surrounding mountains.

Second, Tirana comes from Tirkan. Tirkan was a castle on the face of mount Dajti. The ruins of this ancient castle still exist, which dates back to the beginning of the first century before the birth of Christ, and which is thought to have been the castle which the Byzantine historian named Prokop (6th century) called the castle of Tirkan. Third, Tirana comes from Teheran, the capital of Iran, in remembrance of the victory by Sulejman Pasha (founder of the city), head of the Turkish army during the campaign in Persia. Fourth, an old Tirana tale says that Sulejman Pasha took the name of the city from an old lady whom he had met at the site where he was going to build the city. When Sulejman Pasha asked the old lady what she was doing she answered " Po tir an (meaning "spinning silk")". Mount Dajti is 1612 m high and is situated on the east of Tirana. The Congress of Lushnja declared Tirana a temporary capital for the first time on February 8th 1920 and it gained this status permanently on December 31st 1925. Tirana has been the world's Bektashi headquarters since 1925, when the Bektashis were banned and expelled from Turkey The first district in Tirana was Bami.

The mosque in the centre of Tirana, called Et'hem Bey, began to be built in 1789 by Molla Bey, who came from Petrela and was finished in 1821 by his son, Haxhi Et'hem Bey, great-grandson of Sulejman Pasha. The best artisans in Albania built it. The clock tower was begun by Haxhi Et'hem Bey around 1821-1822 and was finished with the help of rich Tirana families. Tufina family did the installation of the clock. In 1928 the Albanian State bought a modern clock in Gemany and the tower was raised to a height of 35m. During the Second World War the clock was damaged but was restored to operation in July 1946. The Tabak Bridge (in front of the Albanian parliament) dates back to the 18th century. The holy tomb of Kapllan Pasha (near the Unknown Soldier monument) was built in 1816. The fortress of Petrela is located 12km from Tirana and dates back to the 4th century BC. Its current architecture is from the 13th century during the domination of Topia tribe, and later on it became the property of the Kastriot family. The Durres Road was constructed in 1922 and was called "Nana Mbretneshë " (Queen Mother). A lot of houses and gardens were destroyed for its construction. The current Parliament building was built in 1924 and first served as officers club. There on the 1st of September Ahmet Zogu declared the monarchy.

The well-known Italian architects of the Mussolini period, Florestano de Fausto and Armando Brasini planned the centre of Tirana in the beginning of the 1930s. The Palace of Brigadiers (ex-royal palace), Ministry buildings, National Bank and the Town Hall are their work. The boulevard "Deshmoret e Kombit" (Martyrs of the Nation) was built in 1930 and it was named Boulevard Zog I. During the period of communism, the part of the boulevard between Scanderbeg square and the train station was named "Stalin" Boulevard. The Palace of Culture, the location of The Theatre of Opera and Ballet and the National Library, was finished in 1963. It was built over the former Tirana bazaar and Khrushchev laid the first brick in 1959. The monument of Scanderbeg was built in 1968. It is a work of Odhise Paskali with the collaboration of Andrea Mano and Janaq Pano. It was put up on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the death of our national hero.

The monument "Nena Shqiperi" (Mother Albania), 12 m tall, was inaugurated in the "Deshmoret e Kombit" cemetery in 1971. The Academy of Sciences was finished in April 1972. The National Art Gallery was opened in 1976 and it includes about 3200 works of Albanian and foreign artists.

The National History museum was built in 1981 and the mosaic on the front of the building is titled "Albania". The International Centre of Culture, formerly the mausoleum of Enver Hoxha was inaugurated in 1988. It was designed by a group of architects under the direction of Pranvera Hoxha and Klement Kolaneci.

Butrint

The ancient ruins of Butrint lie 18km (11mi) south of Saranda and are a real gem if you're into ancient world ruins. The poet Virgil claimed that the Trojans settled Butrint, but the site has been pored over by archaeologists and no evidence of this has yet been found.

Treasure hunters from Italy lifted many of the antiquities before the war, but most have since been returned and are on display at the National Museum of History in Tirana. Greeks settled Butrint during the 6th century BC, although the area had been settled long before by the Illyrians.

Within a century of the Greeks arriving, Butrint had become a fortified trading city with its own acropolis, the ruins of which you can still visit. Just below the acropolis in the forest is the 3rd century BC theatre, also used for performances when the Romans were there. Nearby are public baths with geometrical mosaics, and deeper into the forest is a wall with Greek inscriptions and a 6th-century baptistry decorated with colourful mosaics of animals and birds.

Overlooking the whole site is a triangular fortress, erected by warlord Ali Pasha Tepelena early in the 19th century. Butrint is accessibly by road from Saranda, which is linked to Tirana and Vlora by bus. The ruins are nearly on the country's southern border with Greece, 160km (99mi) south of Tirana.

Durres

Unlike Tirana, Durrës is an ancient city, founded in 627BC by the Greeks. It was for centuries the largest port on the Adriatic, and the start of the Via Egnatia to Constantinople. A good place to start exploring is the Archaeological Museum, which faces the waterfront promenade near the port.

Italian troops landed here in 1939 to meet brief but fierce resistance. Those killed defending it are now regarded as the first martyrs of the War of National Liberation. Albania's second largest city, Roman ruins and Byzantine fortifications embellish this major industrial city and commercial port.

Gjirokastra

Gjirokastra, the "Stone City", situated in the southern part of Albania, on the the easter slope of mountain Mali i Gjere. It is a commercial center in South Albania, it produces foodstuffs, leather, and textiles. There are several 18th-century mosques and churches and an old citadel (rebuilt in the 19th cent.) in the town. Dating probably from the 4th cent., Gjirokastër passed to the Turks in the 15th cent. It was captured (1811) by Ali Pasha and was the center (late 1800s) of anti-Turkish resistance. In World War II it was occupied by Italy, Greece, and Germany in succession. Enver Hoxha, the Albanian Communist party leader, was born thereGjirokastra is museum city with charasterist houses made from stone.

What strikes the visitors most in Gjirokastra are its typical and characteristic houses which resemble little fortresses, clustered one above the other. Their exterior combines roughness with the beauty of windows, small rooms and light pillars supporting the roofs prtotruding from the walls.

The most attractive feature is the stone which has been masterfully elaborated by the builders. Hence Gjirokastra has been called the "city of one thousand steps" or "the stone city".

Gjirokastra´s population is around 40,000 and one of the biggest cities of southern Albania. The name Gjirokastra comes from Illyrian Argyres Tribe which inhabited these parts of Europe.

Gjirokastra is a home of traditional Albanian folk festival, usually on fall every four.The National Folklore Festival has its beginnings in year 1968, when it was organized for the first time in Gjirokastra. Since then, it is held once in four years, and it has become the symbol of the Albanian national folklore. This Festival is the amphitheater of the best offered by the Albanian tradition, music vibes and instruments, folk art and costumes. Happening to be a visitor during the days of the Festival, the ambiance and the sensations one gets, is like walking in and interacting with the ancient folklore, or having at a grip or glance what it would take to travel all over Albania and see with your own eyes.

About 1100 Albanian singers and dancers from Albania, Kosova (three groups), Maqedonia (one group), Montenegro (one group), Italia (one group), Germania (one group), Switland (one group) and USA (one group) were together in the Castle from Sept 29 to Oct 5, 2004.

Shkodra

Shkodra (also Shkodër and, in Italian, Scutari) is one of the oldest cities in Europe and the traditional centre of the Gheg cultural region. In 500BC an Illyrian fortress was already guarding the crossing west of the city where the Buna and Drin rivers meet. The road to Kosovo also begins here.

Shkodra's skyline is dominated by the new and impressive Sheik Zamil Abdullah Al-Zamil Mosque. Next to that you will find the Muzeo Popullor, which exhibits recent paintings and historic photos and has an impressive archaeological collection.

Berat

Berati, a city in south central Albania. Located near the Osum River, Berat is the commercial center for the surrounding agricultural region in which tobacco, grapes, and fruits are grown. The town of Berat, overshadowed to the east by mount Tomorr (2400m), is built on an ancient Illyrian dwelling site, which goes back to the sixth century B.C. Its innumerable monuments and beautiful and characteristic architecture of its houses have proclaimed Berat, a museum town. Much of the city is built on terraces in the steep hills overlooking the Osum. The city has many historical monuments, including mosques dating from the 15th to 19th centuries and an 18th-century seven-arched stone bridge. A 13th-century citadel built along a ridge high above the river gorge houses a museum and several old churches.

The castle and its fortified walls are interrelated just like a mosaic where various stages of buildings such as " Kala ", " Mangalem ", " Gorice " which are settled on hills units of the toun make up an impressive example of our genius creative people. Gorica, on the far side of the river ; Mangalem, on the fortress side of the river; and the residential quarter within the fortress (known as Kalaja). The houses on the fortress side which date from the seventeenth century, have typically two stores, with the upper storey slightly overhanging and rich wood carving within. With their wide facades and large windows, they seem to be built almost on top of one another, giving Berat its name of : The town of a thousand windows. Berati has a population of 37,000 inhabitants. The hills and the mountain slopes around Berat, are planted with fig trees olive trees and other fruits. Cult buildings and important monuments are well-known for a prominent architecture. Their foundations belong to paleochristian buildings. Monuments that preserve a complete view are of XIV centuries .

Within these monuments there are some masterpieces of our distinguished painters just like : Onufri, Nikolla , Qipriot , Cetir and many other nameless persons, whereas the institution fund of cultural monuments in Berat preserve abaut 400 religions objects and icons which in the greatest part of them as the result of the missing of financial sources are still unrestored. Mosques and small mosques are brilliant examples in their rising skill of architecture execution, but in particular the iterior part of ceilings and stained glass windows too. Institute affilation of cultural monuments in Berat is an institution that, restores and propogates all these inheritable values. Museums such as Onufri, Ethnographic and Historic preserve and devote prior importance to this treasury placing the bases of a cultural tourism.

Being proposed as a world property, Berati is going to be sooner under protection. There is very developed home tourism in Berat where foreigner's preference is the characteristic native kitchen. The distance of some main sea' beaches is about 80 km away. Taking in consideration the conditions of our country its difficult for a further preservation of monuments and art's works so Berati needs a tecnichal assistence of developed countries.

Elbasan

Elbasan lies midway between Pogradec and Durrës and the town has been prominent since 1974 when the Chinese built a steel mill ('Steel of the Party') there. It also has a cement factory and a growing pollution problem, but Elbasan is not completely without charm.

The 17th century Turkish Baths are in the centre of town, across the park from the Ethnographical Museum. Go through the Bazaar Gate near the clock tower and follow a road north past the 15th century King's Mosque to St Mary's Orthodox Church, which has beautiful stone arcades on its walls.

Korça

Perched on an 869m (2850ft)-high plateau, Korça is the main city of the south-eastern interior. It is, and has long been, Albania's largest carpet and rug producing centre. Much of the old city was destroyed by earthquakes in 1931 and 1960, which toppled minarets and flattened churches.

Some of the colour of old Korça remains in the bazaar, west of the Hotel Iliria. Fine museums include the Muzeu i Artet Mesjetar Shqiptar (Museum of Albanian Medieval Art), the Muzeu Historik and the Muzeu i Arsimit Kombëtar (the Education Museum).

Kukes

Kukes has possibly the most beautiful setting of any town in Albania. It is high above Lake Fierza, just below the bald 2486m (8154ft) summit of Mt Gjalica. It's a pleasant place to spend a few days, and the Hotel Turizmi is one of the finest hotels, with one of the best restaurants, in the country.

The old town formerly stood at the junction of two rivers, the White Drin from Kosovo and the Black Drin from Lake Ohrid, but in 1962 it was relocated to its present position when the Party decided to build a hydroelectric dam ('The Light of the Party') and flood its location.