Gjirokastër is a city in southern
AlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
with a population of 43,000. Lying in the historical region of
EpirusThe name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
, it is the capital of both the
Gjirokastër DistrictThe District of Gjirokastër is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania. It has a population of 56,720 containing a large Greek minority, and an area of 1,137 km². It is in the south of the country, and its capital is Gjirokastër...
and the larger
Gjirokastër CountyGjirokastër County is one of the 12 counties of Albania. It consists of the districts Gjirokastër, Përmet, and Tepelenë and its capital is Gjirokastër. Its population includes a substantial Greek minority. To the southeast, Gjirokastër shares a border with Greece...
. Its old town is inscribed on the World Heritage List as "a rare example of a well-preserved
OttomanThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
town, built by farmers of large estate." Gjirokastër is situated in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino River, at 300 meters above sea level. The city is overlooked by the
Gjirokastër CastleGjirokastër Castle is a castle in Gjirokastër, Albania ....
. Gjirokastër is the birthplace of former Albanian communist leader
Enver HoxhaEnver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
and notable writer
Ismail KadareIsmail Kadare is an Albanian writer. He is known for his novels, although he was first noticed for his poetry collections. In the 1960s he focused on short stories until the publication of his first novel, The General of the Dead Army. In 1996 he became a lifetime member of the Academy of Moral...
. It hosts the
Eqerem Çabej UniversityEqerem Çabej University is a university in the Albanian town of Gjirokastër, named after Eqrem Çabej. It is one of nine SIFE accredited universities in Albania. It was created as a University with the name of “Eqrem Çabej” with decision of the Albanian Government nr. 414, dated 12 November 1991, on...
.
The city appears in the historical record in 1336 by its Greek name,
Argyrokastro, under the
ByzantineThe Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
administration of the
Despotate of EpirusThe Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
, when it was a center of the Albanian families of Zenebishi and Bua-Shpata. From 1386 to 1418 it was the capital of the
Principality of GjirokastërThe Principality of Gjirokastër was an Albanian principality created by Gjon Zenebishi in 1386, encompassing the area around Gjirokastër...
under
Gjon ZenebishiGjon Zenebishi was an Albanian noblemen and Prince of Gjirokastër.-Rise in power:In 1380, Gjon Zenebishi was appointed Sebastocrator or prefect of Vagenetia near Delvinë. He was also ruler of Pyrgo and Sayada. He submitted to the Turks after the initial invasion and gave them his son as a hostage...
, before falling under
Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
rule for the next five centuries. Taken by the Greek Army during the
Balkan WarsThe Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe in 1912 and 1913.By the early 20th century, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia, the countries of the Balkan League, had achieved their independence from the Ottoman Empire, but large parts of their ethnic...
on account of its large Greek population, it was eventually incorporated into the newly independent state of Albania in 1913. This proved highly unpopular with the local Greek population, who rebelled and after several months of guerilla warfare established the short-lived
Autonomous Republic of Northern EpirusThe Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus was a short-lived, self-governing entity founded on February 28, 1914, in the aftermath of the Balkan Wars, by the Greeks living in southern Albania ....
with Gjirokaster as its capital in 1914. It was definitively awarded to Albania in 1921. In more recent years, the city witnessed
anti-government protestsThe 1997 unrest in Albania, also known as the Lottery Uprising or Anarchy in Albania, was an uprising sparked by Ponzi scheme failures...
that lead to major political instability in Albania (1997).
Alongside
AlbaniansAlbanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Albania and neighbouring countries. They speak the Albanian language. More than half of all Albanians live in Albania and Kosovo...
, the city is home to a substantial Greek minority. Gjirokastër, together with Saranda, is considered one of the centers of the Greek community in Albania, and there is a Greek consulate in town.
Etymology
The city appeared for the first time in historical records under its
medieval GreekMedieval Greek, also known as Byzantine Greek, is the stage of the Greek language between the beginning of the Middle Ages around 600 and the Ottoman conquest of the city of Constantinople in 1453. The latter date marked the end of the Middle Ages in Southeast Europe...
name of
Argyrocastron , as mentioned by
John VI KantakouzenosJohn VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was the Byzantine emperor from 1347 to 1354.-Early life:Born in Constantinople, John Kantakouzenos was the son of a Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea. Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was a descendant of the reigning house of...
in 1336. The name comes from the
GreekGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
Αργυρό ("Αrgyro"), meaning "silver", and
Κάστρον ("Kastro"), from the Latin
castrum meaning castle or fortress, thus "silver castle". The theory that the city took the name of the
Princess ArgjiroThe Princess Argjiro is a legendary figure in the Albanian mythology of whom Ismail Kadare wrote a poem in the 1960s. According to ethnograph and historian Fotaq Andrea, the legendary figure was placed in the 15th century as a woman, who, along with her child, threw herself from the Gjirokastër...
, a legendary figure about whom
Ismail KadareIsmail Kadare is an Albanian writer. He is known for his novels, although he was first noticed for his poetry collections. In the 1960s he focused on short stories until the publication of his first novel, The General of the Dead Army. In 1996 he became a lifetime member of the Academy of Moral...
wrote a poem in the 1960s, is considered a folk etymology, since the princess is said to have lived later, in the 15th century.
The
definite Albanian formAlbanian is an Indo-European language spoken by approximately 7.6 million people, primarily in Albania and Kosovo but also in other areas of the Balkans in which there is an Albanian population, including western Macedonia, southern Montenegro, southern Serbia and northwestern Greece...
of the name of city is
Gjirokastra, while in the
Gheg AlbanianGheg is one of the two major varieties of Albanian. The other one is Tosk, on which standard Albanian is based. The dividing line between these two varieties is the Shkumbin River, which winds its way through central Albania....
dialect it is known as
Gjinokastër, both of which derive from the Greek name. Alternative spellings found in Western sources are
Girokaster and
Girokastra. In
AromanianAromanian , also known as Macedo-Romanian, Arumanian or Vlach is an Eastern Romance language spoken in Southeastern Europe...
the city is known as
Ljurocastru, while in
modern GreekModern Greek refers to the varieties of the Greek language spoken in the modern era. The beginning of the "modern" period of the language is often symbolically assigned to the fall of the Byzantine Empire in 1453, even though that date marks no clear linguistic boundary and many characteristic...
it is known Αργυρόκαστρο (Argyrokastro). During the
Ottoman eraThe Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
the town was known in
TurkishTurkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
as
Ergiri.
History
Archaeologists have found pottery objects of the early
Iron AgeThe Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
in Gjirokastër, which first appeared in the late Bronze Age in Pazhok,
Elbasan DistrictThe District of Elbasan is one of the thirty-six districts of Albania, part of Elbasan County. It has a population of 224,689 , and an area of 1,372 km². It is in the centre of the country, and its capital is Elbasan...
, and are found throughout Albania. The earliest recorded inhabitants of the area around Gjirokastër were the
GreekThe Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
tribe of the
ChaoniansThe Chaonians were an ancient Greek tribe that inhabited the region of Epirus located in the north-west of modern Greece and southern Albania. On their southern frontier lay another Epirote kingdom, that of the Molossians, to their southwest stood the kingdom of the Thesprotians, and to their...
.
The city's walls date from the 3rd century AD. The high stone walls of the Citadel were built from the 6th to the 12th century. During this period, Gjirokastër developed into a major commercial center known as
Argyropolis or
Argyrokastron .
The city was part of the
ByzantineByzantine usually refers to the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages.Byzantine may also refer to:* A citizen of the Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
Despotate of EpirusThe Despotate or Principality of Epirus was one of the Byzantine Greek successor states of the Byzantine Empire that emerged in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the Byzantine Empire, along with the Empire of Nicaea, and the Empire of Trebizond...
, and it was first mentioned, by the name of Argyrokastro, by the Byzantine Emperor
John VI KantakouzenosJohn VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzenus was the Byzantine emperor from 1347 to 1354.-Early life:Born in Constantinople, John Kantakouzenos was the son of a Michael Kantakouzenos, governor of the Morea. Through his mother Theodora Palaiologina Angelina, he was a descendant of the reigning house of...
in 1336. During 1386–1418 it became the capital of the
Principality of GjirokastërThe Principality of Gjirokastër was an Albanian principality created by Gjon Zenebishi in 1386, encompassing the area around Gjirokastër...
under
Gjon ZenebishiGjon Zenebishi was an Albanian noblemen and Prince of Gjirokastër.-Rise in power:In 1380, Gjon Zenebishi was appointed Sebastocrator or prefect of Vagenetia near Delvinë. He was also ruler of Pyrgo and Sayada. He submitted to the Turks after the initial invasion and gave them his son as a hostage...
. In 1417 it became part of the Ottoman Empire and in 1419 it became the
county townA county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of the Sanjak of Albania.
According to
TurkishTurkish people, also known as the "Turks" , are an ethnic group primarily living in Turkey and in the former lands of the Ottoman Empire where Turkish minorities had been established in Bulgaria, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Romania...
traveller
Evliya ÇelebiEvliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
, who visited the city in 1670, at that time there were 200 houses within the castle, 200 in the Christian eastern neighborhood of
Kyçyk Varosh (meaning small neighborhood outside the castle), 150 houses in the
Byjyk Varosh (meaning big neighborhood outside the castle), and six additional neighborhoods: Palorto, Vutosh, Dunavat, Manalat, Haxhi Bey, and Memi Bey, extending on eight hills around the castle. According to the traveller, the city had at that time around 2000 houses, eight mosques, three churches, 280 shops, five fountains, and five inns.
In 1811, Gjirokastër became part of the Pashalik of Yanina, then led by the Albanian-born
Ali PashaAli Pasha of Tepelena or of Yannina, surnamed Aslan, "the Lion", or the "Lion of Yannina", Ali Pashë Tepelena was an Ottoman Albanian ruler of the western part of Rumelia, the Ottoman Empire's European territory which was also called Pashalik of Yanina. His court was in Ioannina...
, and was transformed into a semi-autonomous fiefdom in the southwestern Balkans until his death in 1822. After the fall of the pashalik in 1868, the city was the capital of the sandjak of Ergiri (the Turkish name for Gjirokastër). On 23 July 1880, southern Albanian committees of the
League of PrizrenThe League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation commonly known as the League of Prizren was an Albanian political organization founded on 10 June 1878 in Prizren, in the Kosovo province of the Ottoman Empire....
held a congress in the city, in which was decided that if Albanian-populated areas of the Ottoman Empire were ceded to neighbouring countries, they would revolt. During the Albanian National Awakening (1831–1912), the city was a major centre of the movement, and some groups in the city were reported to carry portraits of
SkanderbegGeorge Kastrioti Skanderbeg or Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu , widely known as Skanderbeg , was a 15th-century Albanian lord. He was appointed as the governor of the Sanjak of Dibra by the Ottomans in 1440...
, the national hero of the Albanians during this period.
Given its large Greek population, the city was claimed and taken by Greece during the
First Balkan WarThe First Balkan War, which lasted from October 1912 to May 1913, pitted the Balkan League against the Ottoman Empire. The combined armies of the Balkan states overcame the numerically inferior and strategically disadvantaged Ottoman armies and achieved rapid success...
of 1912–1913, following the retreat of the Ottomans from the region. However, it was awarded to Albania under the terms of the Treaty of London of 1913 and the Protocol of Florence of 17 December 1913.
This turn of events proved highly unpopular with the local Greek population, and their representatives under
Georgios Christakis-ZografosGeorgios Christakis-Zografos was a Greek politician, minister of foreign affairs and president of the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus .-Studies & early career:...
formed the Panepirotic Assembly in Gjirokastër in protest. The Assembly, short of incorporation with Greece, demanded either local autonomy or an international occupation by forces of the Great Powers for the districts of Gjirokastër, Saranda, and
KorçëKorçë is a city in southeastern Albania and the capital of the Korçë District. It has a population of around 105,000 people , making it the sixth largest city in Albania...
. In March 1914, the
Autonomous Republic of Northern EpirusThe Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus was a short-lived, self-governing entity founded on February 28, 1914, in the aftermath of the Balkan Wars, by the Greeks living in southern Albania ....
was
declaredThe Northern Epirote Declaration of Independence occurred on February 28, 1914, in Argyrokastron , against the decision of incorporation of Northern Epirus to the newly established Albanian principality....
in Gjirokastër and was confirmed by the Great Powers with the
Protocol of CorfuThe Protocol of Corfu , signed on May 17, 1914, was an agreement between representatives of the Albanian Government and the Provisional Government of Northern Epirus, which officially recognized the area of Northern Epirus as an autonomous region within the Albanian state...
. The Republic, however, was short-lived, as Albania collapsed at the beginning of the First World War. The Greek military returned in October–November 1914, and again captured Gjirokastër, along with Saranda and
KorçëKorçë is a city in southeastern Albania and the capital of the Korçë District. It has a population of around 105,000 people , making it the sixth largest city in Albania...
. In April 1916, the territory referred to by Greeks as
Northern EpirusNorthern Epirus is a term used to refer to those parts of the historical region of Epirus, in the western Balkans, that are part of the modern Albania. The term is used mostly by Greeks and is associated with the existence of a substantial ethnic Greek population in the region...
, including Gjirokastër, was annexed to Greece. The
Paris Peace Conference of 1919The Paris Peace Conference was the meeting of the Allied victors following the end of World War I to set the peace terms for the defeated Central Powers following the armistices of 1918. It took place in Paris in 1919 and involved diplomats from more than 32 countries and nationalities...
restored the pre-war status quo, essentially upholding the border line decided in the 1913 Protocol of Florence, and the city was again returned to Albanian control.
In April 1939, Gjirokastër was occupied by
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
following the
Italian invasion of AlbaniaThe Italian invasion of Albania was a brief military campaign by the Kingdom of Italy against the Albanian Kingdom. The conflict was a result of the imperialist policies of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini...
. In December 1940, during the
Greco-Italian WarThe Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Italy and Greece which lasted from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II...
, the Greek Army entered the city and stayed for a four month period before capitulating to the
GermansNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in April 1941 and returning the city to Italian command. After the Italy's capitulation in September 1943, the city was taken by German forces, and eventually returned to Albanian control in 1944.
The postwar Communist regime developed the city as an industrial and commercial centre. It was elevated to the status of a museum town, as it was the birthplace of the Communist leader of Albania,
Enver HoxhaEnver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
, who had been born there in 1908. His house was converted into a museum.
Gjirokastër suffered severe economic problems following the end of communist rule in 1991. In the spring of 1993, the region of Gjirokastër became a center of open conflict between Greek minority members and the Albanian police. The city was particularly affected by the 1997 collapse of a massive
pyramid schemeA pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public...
which destabilised the entire Albanian economy. The city became the focus of a rebellion against the government of
Sali BerishaSali Ram Berisha is an Albanian politician and cardiologist, currently the Prime Minister of Albania and the leader of Democratic Party of Albania ....
; violent anti-government protests took place which eventually forced Berisha's resignation. On 16 December 1997, Hoxha's house was damaged by unknown attackers, but subsequently restored.
Religion and culture
In 1925, Albania became the world center of
BektashismBektashi Order or Bektashism is an Islamic Sufi order founded in the 13th century by the Persian saint Haji Bektash Veli. In addition to the spiritual teachings of Haji Bektash Veli the order was significantly influenced during its formative period by both the Hurufis as well as the...
, a
MuslimIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
sect. The sect was headquartered in
TiranaTirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, and Gjirokastër was one of six districts of the Bektashism in Albania, with its center at the
tekkeA Cemevi means literally a house of gathering in Turkish, and is a place of fundamental importance for Turkey's Alevi-Bektashi populations and traditions. It is not a place of worship in the strict sense of the term; the accent is laid on its aspect as lieu of assemblage...
of
Asim BabaRexheb Beqiri , better known by the religious name Baba Rexheb, was an Albanian Islamic scholar and mystic. He was the founder and the head of the Bektashi Sufi lodge located in Taylor, Michigan, United States....
. The city retains a large Bektashi and Sunni Muslim population. Historically there were 15 and tekkes and mosques, of which 13 were functional in 1945. Only
Gjirokastër MosqueGjirokastër Mosque , also known as the Bazaar Mosque , is a mosque located in Gjirokastër, Albania. The mosque was built in 1757. and is located in the Old Bazaar neighbourhood...
has survived; the remaining 12 were destroyed or closed during the Cultural Revolution of the communist government in 1967.
The city is home to an Eastern Orthodox diocese, part of the Orthodox Church of Albania.
17th-century Ottoman traveller
Evliya ÇelebiEvliya Çelebi was an Ottoman traveler who journeyed through the territory of the Ottoman Empire and neighboring lands over a period of forty years.- Life :...
, who visited the city in 1670, described the city in detail. One Sunday, Çelebi heard the sound of a
vajtimVajtim or Gjëmë is the dirge or lamentation of the dead in the Albanian custom by a woman or a group of women. In Northern Albania, men can also be seen singing.-Southern Albania:...
, the traditional Albanian lament for the dead, performed by a professional mourner. The traveller found the city so noisy that he dubbed Gjirokastër the "city of wailing".
The novel
Chronicle in StoneChronicle in Stone is a novel by Ismail Kadare. First published in Albanian in 1971 and sixteen years later in English translation, it describes life in a small Albanian city during World War II....
by Albanian writer
Ismail KadareIsmail Kadare is an Albanian writer. He is known for his novels, although he was first noticed for his poetry collections. In the 1960s he focused on short stories until the publication of his first novel, The General of the Dead Army. In 1996 he became a lifetime member of the Academy of Moral...
tells the history of this city during the Italian and Greek occupation in World War I and II, and expands on the customs of the people of Gjirokastër. At the age of twenty-four, Albanian writer
Musine KokalariMusine Kokalari of Gjirokastër, Albania was an Albanian prose writer and politician in Albania's pre-communist period. Kokalari was the first female writer of Albania. After a short involvement in politics during World War II, she was persecuted by the communist regime in Albania, and not allowed...
wrote an 80-page collection of ten youthful prose tales in her native Gjirokastrian dialect:
As my old mother tells me , Tirana, 1941. The book tells the day-by-day struggles of women of Gjirokastër, and describes the prevailing mores of the region.
Gjirokastër, home to both Albanian and Greek
polyphonicIn music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
singing, is also home to the
National Folklore FestivalGjirokastër National Folklore Festival is an artistic festival taking place every five years in Gjirokastër Castle in Gjirokastër, southern Albania. The festival showcases Albanian traditional music, dress, and dance from Albanian inhabited lands throughout the Balkans and Southern Italy...
that is held every five years. The festival started in 1968 and was most recently held in 2009, its ninth season. The festival takes place on the premises of
Gjirokaster CastleGjirokastër Castle is a castle in Gjirokastër, Albania ....
. Gjirokaster is also where the
Greek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
newspaper
Laiko VimaLaiko Vima is a bi-weekly newspaper published in Gjirokastër, that serves the local Greek communities in Albania. It was founded in 1945 and was the only newspaper printed in the Greek language during the Socialist People's Republic of Albania.-Background:...
is published. Founded in 1945, it was the only Greek-language printed media allowed during the Socialist People's Republic of Albania.
Landmarks
The city is built on the slope surrounding the citadel, located on a dominating plateau. Although the city's walls were built in the third century and the city itself was first mentioned in the 12th century, the majority of the existing buildings date from 17th and 18th centuries. Typical houses consist of a tall stone block structure which can be up to five stories high. There are external and internal staircases that surround the house. It is thought that such design stems from fortified country houses typical in southern Albania. The lower storey of the building contains a cistern and the stable. The upper storey is composed of a guest room and a family room containing a fireplace. Further upper stories are to accommodate extended families and are connected by internal stairs.
Many houses in Gjirokastër have a distinctive local style that has earned the city the nickname "City of Stone", because most of the old houses have roofs covered with stones. The city, along with
BeratBerat is a town located in south-central Albania. As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of around 71,000 people. It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat...
, was among the few Albanian cities preserved in the 1960s and 1970s from modernizing building programs. Both cities gained the status of "museum town" and are
UNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage sites.
The
Gjirokastër CastleGjirokastër Castle is a castle in Gjirokastër, Albania ....
dominates the town and overlooks the strategically important route along the river valley. It is open to visitors and contains a military museum featuring captured artillery and memorabilia of the Communist resistance against German occupation, as well as a captured United States Air Force plane to commemorate the Communist regime's struggle against the imperialist powers. Additions were built during the 19th and 20th centuries by
Ali PashaAli Pasha of Tepelena or of Yannina, surnamed Aslan, "the Lion", or the "Lion of Yannina", Ali Pashë Tepelena was an Ottoman Albanian ruler of the western part of Rumelia, the Ottoman Empire's European territory which was also called Pashalik of Yanina. His court was in Ioannina...
of Tepelene and the Government of King Zog. Today it possesses five towers and houses a clock tower, a church, water fountains, horse stables, and many more amenities. The northern part of the castle was turned into a prison by Zog's government and housed political prisoners during the communist regime.
Gjirokastër features an old Ottoman
bazaarA bazaar , Cypriot Greek: pantopoula) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The term is sometimes also used to refer to the "network of merchants, bankers and craftsmen" who work that area...
which was originally built in the 17th century; it was rebuilt in the 19th century after a fire. There are more than 200 homes preserved as "cultural monuments" in Gjirokastër today. The
Gjirokastër MosqueGjirokastër Mosque , also known as the Bazaar Mosque , is a mosque located in Gjirokastër, Albania. The mosque was built in 1757. and is located in the Old Bazaar neighbourhood...
, built in 1757, dominates the bazaar.
When the town was first proposed for inscription on the World Heritage list in 1988,
International Council on Monuments and SitesThe International Council on Monuments and Sites is a professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places around the world...
experts were nonplussed by a number of modern constructions which detracted from the old town's appearance. The historic core of Gjirokastër was finally inscribed in 2005, 15 years after its original nomination.
Climate
Gjirokastër is situated between the lowlands of western Albania and the highlands of the interior, and has thus a continental Mediterranean climate. The following are the
temperatures and precipitation in Albania:
Economy
Gjirokastër is principally a commercial center with some industries, notably the production of foodstuffs, leather, and textiles. Recently a regional agricultural market that trades locally produced groceries has been built in the city. Given the potential of southern Albania to supply organically-grown products, and its relationship with Greek counterparts of the nearby city of
IoanninaIoannina , often called Jannena within Greece, is the largest city of Epirus, north-western Greece, with a population of 70,203 . It lies at an elevation of approximately 500 meters above sea level, on the western shore of lake Pamvotis . It is located within the Ioannina municipality, and is the...
, it is likely that the market will dedicate itself to
organic foodOrganic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
in the future. However, currently trademarking and marketing of such products are far from European standards. The Chamber of Commerce of the city, created in 1988, promotes trade with the Greek border areas. As part of the financial support from Greece to Albania, the Greek Armed Forces built a hospital in the city.
In recent years, many traditional houses are being reconstructed and owners lured to come back, thus revitalizing tourism as a potential revenue source for the local economy.
In 2010, following the Greek economic crisis, the city was one of the first areas in Albania to suffer, since many Albanian emigrants in Greece are becoming unemployed and thus are returning home.
Education
The first school in the city, a Greek language school, was erected in the city in 1663. It was sponsored by local merchants and functioned under the supervision of the local bishop. In 1821, when the
Greek War of IndependenceThe Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution was a successful war of independence waged by the Greek revolutionaries between...
broke out, it was destroyed, but it was reopened in 1830. In 1727 a
madrasahMadrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
started to function in the city, and it worked uninterruptedly for 240 years until 1967, when it was closed due to the Cultural Revolution applied in communist Albania. In 1861–1862 a
Greek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
school for girls was founded, financially supported by the local Greek benefactor
Christakis ZografosChristakis Zografos - 1896, Paris, France) was a Greek banker holding Ottoman citizenship, benefactor and one of the distinguished personalities of the Greek community of Constantinople .-Early years-Career:...
. The first Albanian school in Gjirokastër was opened in 1886. Today Gjirokastër has seven grammar schools, two general high schools (of which one is the
Gjirokastër GymnasiumGjirokastër Gymnasium , also known as Asim Zeneli Gymnasium is a gymnasium located in Gjirokastër, Albania. The school was founded on 5 November 1923 as one of the first schools of general secondary education in Albania, where students could study regardless of religion, gender and locality....
), and two professional ones.
The city is home to the
Eqerem Çabej UniversityEqerem Çabej University is a university in the Albanian town of Gjirokastër, named after Eqrem Çabej. It is one of nine SIFE accredited universities in Albania. It was created as a University with the name of “Eqrem Çabej” with decision of the Albanian Government nr. 414, dated 12 November 1991, on...
, which opened its doors in 1968. The university has recently been experiencing low enrollments, and as a result the departments of Physics, Mathematics, Biochemistry, and Kindergarten Education did not function during the 2008–2009 academic year. In 2006, the establishment of a second university in Gjirokastër, a Greek-language one, was agreed upon after discussions between the Albanian and Greek governments. The program had an attendance of 35 students as of 2010, but was abruptly suspended when the
University of IoanninaThe University of Ioannina is a university lying in the plains 5 km southwest of Ioannina, Greece. The campus is linked to the town by Greek National Road 5. It now hosts over 20,000 students in 17 faculties...
in Greece refused to provide teachers for the 2010 school year and the Greek government and the Latsis foundation withdrew funding.
Sports
Football (soccer) is popular in Gjirokastër: the city hosts
Luftëtari Gjirokastër, a club founded in 1929. The club has competed in international tournaments and played in the Albanian Superliga until 2006–2007. Currently the team plays in the
Albanian First DivisionThe Albanian First Division is the second level of association football in Albania. The league was first created with the name Kategoria e Dytë and has also been named Kategoria A2 in recent years....
. The soccer matches are played in the Subi Bakiri Stadium, which can hold up to 8,500 spectators.
Demographics
The town has 43,000 inhabitants. Gjirokastër is home to an ethnic Greek community that according to one source numbered about 4000 in 1989, although Greek spokesmen have claimed that up to 32% of the town is Greek. Gjirokastër is considered the center of the Greek community in Albania. Given the large Greek population in the town and surrounding area (
DropullDropull is a predominantly Greek-inhabited region in Gjirokastër District, in southern Albania. The region stretches from south of the city of Gjirokastër to the Greek-Albanian border, along the Drinos river. The region's villages are part of the Greek "minority zone" recognized by the Albanian...
), there is a Greek consulate in the town.
Transport
Gjirokaster is served by the
SH4 HighwayTransport in Albania has been rather undeveloped during the Communist period , after which the country has had to make significant investment into transport infrastructure.-History:...
which connects it to Tepelena in the north and the
DropullDropull is a predominantly Greek-inhabited region in Gjirokastër District, in southern Albania. The region stretches from south of the city of Gjirokastër to the Greek-Albanian border, along the Drinos river. The region's villages are part of the Greek "minority zone" recognized by the Albanian...
region and Greek border 30 km to the south.
Notable people
- Ali Alizoti
Ali Nezvad Alizoti , son of Bey Naim Alizoti, was an Albanian politician of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He studied in Istanbul and commenced administrative training in Salonica. In 1906 he was appointed Mutessarif of Hinis.-References:...
, politician in late 19th century
- Fejzi Alizoti, interim Prime Minister of Albania in 1914
- Kyriakoulis Argyrokastritis
Kyriakoulis Argyrokastritis also known as Kyriakoulis Polychronis was a Greek resistance leader of the Greek War of Independence.He was born in Gjirokastër , modern Albania, when the town was under Ottoman rule...
(−1828), revolutionary of the Greek War of Independence
- Arjan Bellaj
Arjan Bellaj is a retired Albanian footballer . He spent most of his career in Greece and he gained the Greek nationality....
, retired soccer player and member of the Albania national football teamThe Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
- Elmaz Boçe
Elmaz Boçe was one of the signatories of Albanian Declaration of Independence.-References:*"History of Albanian People," Albanian Academy of Science. ISBN 99927-1-623-1...
, signatory of the Albanian Declaration of IndependenceThe Albanian Declaration of Independence is the declaration of independence of the Albanian Vilayet from the Ottoman Empire. Albania was proclaimed independent in Vlorë on November 28, 1912.-Background:...
and politician
- Eqerem Çabej, linguist and ethnologist
- Bledar Devolli
Bledar Devolli is an Albanian football midfielder who plays for KS Luftëtari Gjirokastër in Albanian First Division.He has been capped twice for Albania.-Flamurtari:...
, footballer
- Rauf Fico
Rauf Fico was an Albanian politician from Gjirokastër.In 1912 he joined Vlora's government as Councillor in the Ministry of the Interior. In 1916, during the Austrian occupation, he was sub-prefect of Tirana. In the late 1920s he served as an ambassador to Turkey and Bulgaria and in April 1929 was...
, politician
- Bashkim Fino
Bashkim Fino is an Albanian politician and former Prime Minister of Albania.Fino studied economics in Tirana and the United States. After this, he worked as an economist in Gjirokastër, and in 1992 became its mayor...
, politician and former Prime Minister of Albania
- Georgios Dimitriou
Georgios Dimitriou was an 18th century Greek author and scholar.Dimitriou was born in Ottoman ruled Gjirokaster, modern southern Albania . He lived at the time when Ali Pasha was the local Ottoman ruler of Epirus...
, 18th century author
- Gregory IV of Athens
Gregory IV, known as Grigor Gjirokastriti was an Albanian scholar and cleric who became Archbishop of Athens in 1827–1829.Gregory was born in Gjirokastër in the mid to late-18th century. In ca. 1744 he was a teacher in the New Academy, a famous educational institution in Moscopole, a leading...
, scholar and Archbishop of Athens
- Dimitrios Hatzipolyzoy, 19th-century merchant
- Altin Haxhi
Altin Haxhi is an Albanian footballer. He plays as a defender for Apollon Kalamarias F.C..-Club career:Haxhi's former clubs include KS Luftëtari Gjirokastër, Panachaiki, PFC Litex Lovech, Iraklis, PFC CSKA Sofia, Apollon Kalamarias, Anorthosis Famagusta and Ergotelis FC.APOEL announced that it...
, international soccer player; capped in the Albania national teamThe Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
- Fatmir Haxhiu
Fatmir Haxhiu was an Albanian painter of the 20th century. Recipient of the People's Painter of Albania award, he belonged to the realist art stream.-References:...
, painter
- Veli Harxhi
Veli Harxhi was one of the signatories of the Albanian Declaration of Independence.-References:...
, signatory of the Albanian Declaration of IndependenceThe Albanian Declaration of Independence is the declaration of independence of the Albanian Vilayet from the Ottoman Empire. Albania was proclaimed independent in Vlorë on November 28, 1912.-Background:...
and politician
- Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha was a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary andthe leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
, former first Secretary of the Albanian Party of Labor, and leader of socialist Albania
- Javer Hurshiti
Javer Hurshiti was an Albanian military figure from Gjirokastër. He was a commander during the Vlora War. He was also a prefect of Shkodër during World War II....
, military commander in the Vlora WarThe Vlora War or the War of 1920 was a series of battles between an Italian forces garrisoned throughout Vlorë region and Albanian patriots divided in small groups of fighters. The war lasted three months and had great impact in the struggle of Albania for the safeguard of its territories at a...
of 1920
- Feim Ibrahimi
Feim Ibrahimi was born on 20 October 1935 in Gjirokastër, southern Albania. Essentially self-taught in his early years, he became the first significant Albanian composer to study exclusively in his home country, entering the newly-founded Tirana Conservatory in 1962 and studying there with Daija...
, composer
- Ismail Kadare
Ismail Kadare is an Albanian writer. He is known for his novels, although he was first noticed for his poetry collections. In the 1960s he focused on short stories until the publication of his first novel, The General of the Dead Army. In 1996 he became a lifetime member of the Academy of Moral...
, novelist, winner of the Man Booker International PrizeThe Man Booker International Prize is a biennial international literary award given to a living author of any nationality for a body of work published in English or generally available in English translation....
in 2005 and Prince of Asturias AwardThe Prince of Asturias Awards are a series of annual prizes awarded in Spain by the Prince of Asturias Foundation to individuals, entities or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, and public affairs....
in 2009
- Mehmed Kalakula
Mehmed Rasim Kalakula was an Albanian politician that served the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century as kaymakam of Western Anatolia....
, politician
- Xhanfize Keko movie director
- Saim Kokona
Saim Kokona is the most prolific Albanian cinematographer in the Cinema of Albania.Kokona began working in film in 1964 on Qemal Stafa and has undetaken the cinematography of over 40 films between then and 1990, working on major Albanian films such as Brazdat and Apasionata .He retired from the...
, cinematographer
- Eqrem Libohova, former Prime Minister of Albania
- Sabit Lulo
Sabit Lulo was an Albanian politician, active in the Ottoman Empire and Albania.He was born in 1883 in Gjirokastër and was son of a kadi. From 1909 to 1913 he served as kaymakam in Tepelenë, Çermik and Rize, in Eastern Anatolia. In June 1913 he favoured the newly formed Principality of Albania and...
, politician
- Bule Naipi
Bule Naipi, People's Heroine of Albania is an Albanian World War II heroine.She was born in 1922 in Gjirokastër, Albania. As a member of the Communist Youth, she joined the Antifascist War. Since the beginnings of her childhood she faced grave difficulties as her father had left the city and...
, World War II People's Heroine of AlbaniaHero of Albania, more properly Hero of the People is the highest title that can be bestowed on a citizen of Albania.-Creation:The title was created in 1945 and the Albanian parliament confirmed it by Law in 1954 and then reconfirmed by Law Nr.6133 on February 12, 1980...
- Omer Nishani
Dr. Omer Nishani was an Albanian politician from Gjirokastër.He helped organize the Albanian National Revolutionary Committee in Vienna in 1925....
, Head of State of Albania from 1944–1953
- Arlind Nora
Arlind Nora is an Albanian footballer who, since 2011, plays as a forward for Luftëtari Gjirokastër in the Albanian First Division.-Career stats:-References:...
, footballer
- Bahri Omari
Bahri Omari was an Albanian politician, publisher, and writer.-Life:Born in 1888 in the city of Gjirokastër, he became at 25 the prefect of the city of Himarë in southern Albania...
, politician
- Jani Papadhopulli
Jani Papadhopulli was one of the signatories of the Albanian Declaration of Independence, who was later elected as deputy of the Albanian parliament in 1924.- Sources :* "History of Albanian People" Albanian Academy of Science.ISBN 9992716231...
, signatory of the Albanian Declaration of Independence and politician
- Xhevdet Picari
Xhevdet Picari was an Albanian military figure from Gjirokastër. He was a commander during the Vlora War.-References:...
, commander in the Vlora War
- Pertef Pogoni
Pertef Pogoni was a 20th century Albanian politician.Born in Gjirokastër in 1888, Pogoni had studied in the Pedagogical Institute in France until 1912 and in 1927 he became General secretary of the Ministry of Public Education in Albania. In 1928 he elaborated the law on th eorganization of the...
, 20th century politician
- Baba Rexheb
Rexheb Beqiri , better known by the religious name Baba Rexheb, was an Albanian Islamic scholar and mystic. He was the founder and the head of the Bektashi Sufi lodge located in Taylor, Michigan, United States....
, BektashiBektashi Order or Bektashism is an Islamic Sufi order founded in the 13th century by the Persian saint Haji Bektash Veli. In addition to the spiritual teachings of Haji Bektash Veli the order was significantly influenced during its formative period by both the Hurufis as well as the...
Sufi religious leader and saint
- Mehmet Tahsini
Mehmet Tahsini was an Albanian politician, active in the Ottoman Empire and Albania.He was born in 1864 in Gjirokastër and started his career as a professor of History in Edirne. After 1895 he served as kaymakam in Eastern Anatolia.-References:...
, politician and professor
- Fatos Beja
Fatos Asllan Beja is a member of the Assembly of the Republic of Albania for the Democratic Party of Albania.-References:...
, politician
- Çerçiz Topulli
Çerçiz Topulli was an Albanian Renaissance armed fighter, writer, and patriot, and is a People's Hero of Albania. He was the younger brother of Bajo Topulli....
, 20th-century nationalist and freedom fighter
- Bajo Topulli
Bajo Topulli was an Albanian freedom fighter. While he was a director in the Ottoman Secondary school in Monastir he founded in 1905 the "Committee for the liberation of Albania" in Korçë and led the first Albanian army against the Turkish Ottoman Empire after Skanderbeg's army and the League of...
, brother of Çerçiz, nationalist and freedom fighter
- Takis Tsiakos
Takis Tsiakos was a Greek poet, representative of the poetic style of Kostis Palamas.Tsiakos was born in Gjirokastër, modern southern Albania. In 1930 he moved to Ioannina, Greece, where he made his literary appearance writing lyrics in columns of local newspapers as well as in widely known Greek...
, Greek poet
- Alexandros Vasileiou
Alexandros Vasileiou was a Greek merchant and scholar. He was born in Ottoman occupied Gjirokastër, in modern Albania.He was one of many Greek merchants in the 18th-19th centuries that were involved in the fields of education and literature. A. Vasileiou played an essential role in the Greek...
, merchant and Greek scholar
- Michael Vasileiou
Michael Vasileiou was a 19th century Greek merchant and benefactor. He was born in Ottoman occupied Gjirokastër, in modern Albania.He was the brother of Alexandros Vasileiou, merchant, scholar and student of Adamantios Korais, a major figure of the Greek Enlightenment movement...
, merchant; brother of Alexandros
- Mahmud Xhelaledini
Mahmud Xhelaledini was a 20th century Albanian politician who worked for the Ottoman Empire.Born in Gjirokastër in 1870, Xhelaledin had studied in Thessaloniki. After undergoing the Ottoman school of public administration there, he became kaymakam of Gjilan in the vilayet of Kosovo in the 1901-1903...
, politician
- Arjan Xhumba
Arjan Xhumba is a former Albanian footballer. He has 48 appearances for Albanian national team.-Career:* 1987–1992 : KS Luftetari Gjirokaster* 1992–1994 : PAS Giannina* 1994–1997 : AO Kalamata...
, retired soccer player and member of the Albania national football teamThe Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
See also
- Gjirokaster National Folklore Festival
Gjirokastër National Folklore Festival is an artistic festival taking place every five years in Gjirokastër Castle in Gjirokastër, southern Albania. The festival showcases Albanian traditional music, dress, and dance from Albanian inhabited lands throughout the Balkans and Southern Italy...
- Tourism in Albania
Tourism in Albania is characterized by the archaeological heritage inherited from Greek, Roman and Ottoman times, unspoiled beaches, challenging mountain ranges, Cold War artifacts, unique traditions, unequivocal hospitality, delicious traditional cuisine, and the wild and peculiar atmosphere of...
- History of Albania
The history of Albania emerges from the prehistoric stage from the 4th century BC, with early records of Illyria in Greco-Roman historiography. The modern territory of Albania has no counterpart in antiquity, comprising parts of the Roman provinces of Dalmatia , Macedonia , and Moesia Superior...
- Music of Albania
Albanian music displays a variety of influences. Albanian folk music traditions differ by region, with major stylistic differences between the traditional music of the Ghegs in the north and Tosks in the south. Modern popular music has developed around the centers of Korça, Shkodër and Tirana....
- Antigonia
Antigonea , also transliterated as Antigonia and Antigoneia, was an ancient Greek city in Epirus and the chief inland city of the ancient Chaonians...
- Hadrianopolis
- Greeks in Albania
Sources
External links