City: Albania
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Things to do in Albania, Albania: The Best Historic Sites
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1. Irmaj Castle
2. St. Nicholas Monastery Church
3. Zekate House
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 161 reviews
One of the most beautiful and best preserved houses of Gjirokastra. The Zekate House is a grand example of the typical (tower-house), belonging to the wealthiest families in Gjirokastra in 19th century. It belonged to Beqir Zeko, a general administrator of Ali Pasha. It was built in 1811-1812. Where you are in the top of it, the view of river valley is amazing. This 3 storey house has very strong defensive features, and that is why she is still so powerful until nowadays. The ground floor contains storage rooms, the kitchen and the cistern. The first floor has two rooms used as living quarters for branches of the family, while the third floor has a grand reception room and two other smaller rooms. The principal room is very typical of the grandest of these dwellings with frescoed walls, a carved ceiling and an ornate fireplace. This house gives visitors a vast understandings of the vernacular architecture. The entrance fee is € 1.00.
Reviewed By nadiaresuli - Tirana, Albania
breathtaking wood decoration and wall painting. beautiful city view. it feels like you travel in time. highly recommend.
4. Gjirokaster Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 838 reviews
Reviewed By B1714D - Belgrade, Serbia
We've travelled entire Albania during our 2 week tour and two towns I can point out being the most beautiful are Berat and Gjirokaster. Gjirokaster is only an hour drive from the seaside resorts of Saranda and Ksamil, and I'd suggest everyone holidaying there to make a day excursion. Gjirokaster sits on slopes of Gjere mountains overlooking a huge valley. The Castle occupies a commanding position and is a beautiful site while approaching the town. The fortress dates back to 12 c, modified and reshaped over the centuries. It's main feature, the clock tower was added in 1800's by Ottoman governor Ali Pasha Tepelena who's also responsible for a magnificent sea fortress at Porto Palermo north from Saranda on the Ionian coast (read that review). The Castle houses a military museum consisting mostly of captured WWII Italian and German weapons and a US fighter plane from the cold war era (different versions on it), as well two Pasha tombs and some underground Ottoman era rooms. However, most impressing are the views of the valley and old town below. Like most such places in Albania entry fee is extremely cheap and there are good English explanations throughout the place.
5. The Castle of Himara
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 86 reviews
Reviewed By maddies599 - Tirana, Albania
What a pleasant surprise this was on my trip to Himare! The castle is beautiful and there are actually people living in homes build around the castle! Would highly recommend visiting at sunset as the views of the town of Himare and the coast are stunning!
6. Preza Castle
7. Rodoni Castle
8. Tower of Nikoll Koceku
9. Kamenica Tumulus
10. Kapllan Pasha’s Tomb
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 34 reviews
Reviewed By experiencetirana - Tirana, Albania
Kapllan Pasha’s Tomb is located in the centre of Tirana. This is a very interesting history in that time. In front of Kapllan Pasha tomb has been located the first mosque (old Tirana City Center) built by Sulejman Pasha the first ruler of Tirana. Tirana was founded in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini Pasha, a local ruler from Mullet who constructed a mosque, a bakery and a hamam in the old city center of Tirana. Built in 1614, it was the oldest mosque of the city of Tirana and was one of the oldest mosques in Albania. The mosque was destroyed in the Second World War,its remains and its minaret which still stood were destroyed in 1967 by the new Communist dictatorship under Enver Hoxha. The monument of the "Unknown Soldier" (Albanian: Ushtari i panjohur) was constructed on its site instead. The reason why Kapllan Pasha tomb is in the middle of the town relates with the help that he gave to Bargjini Family. Sulejman Bargjini was killed in Bagdad. It was his son Ahmed died because of an illness, he left four daughters in young age. Their relatives sought protection with Kapllan Pasha of Kruja, offering him to marry his sons to the four orphaned daughters of the Bargjini clan. Kapllan Pasha, accepted the offer, since the Bargjini daughters were wealthy and owned lands around Tirana. Kapllan’s sons moved to Tirana and all the family used Toptani as their last name. In Turkish Toptan means together. The legend has it that when the family moved to Tirana, Kapllan Pasha said: Now they are all together. Hence the name Toptan. Kapllan Pasha Tomb It formed part of a monumental cemetery complex of the first Tirana mosque, which was destroyed during the Second World War. The complex at that time included six other similar monumental graves, of varying dimensions. Dating from 1817, this eight-columned tomb is a reminder of the city’s Ottoman period. It has an octagonal shape and is four metres in height. Kapllan Pasha’s remains were later exhumed and reburied in Istanbul. The tomb is empty but the structure remains a cultural monument, a remnant of the first Tirana mosque. The monument has recently been restored.
