Archaeological Parks
In antiquity the territory around the site belonged to Chaonia, part of the Epirus kingdom, and it is rich in finds from the Classical to the Byzantine period
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The ancient city of Lissos is situated about half way between ancient Epidamnos-Dyrrahium and Scodra, built on a hill overlooking the flow of the Drin river.
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Oricum is located to the right of the Vlora-Saranda national road and 42 km south of the Greek colony of Apollonia.
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Shkodra is one of the most ancient cities in northwestern Albania. It was founded in the 4th century B.C. as the centre of the Illyrian tribe of the Labeates.
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Butrint is situated on a low promontory on the southwest coast of Albania, south of the modern city of Saranda and opposite from the Greek island of Corfu.
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Byllis has been the largest city in Southern Illyria, but despite this fact, has been mentioned relatively late by historians and ancient geographers.
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The famous Roman orator Cicero, astonished by the beauty of Apollonia named it in his Philippics, magna urbs et gravis - a great and important city.
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This was the capital of the Illyrian tribe of Amantes. Its ruins are in the village of Plloça in the Vlora river valley. It was founded in the fifth century B.C. and covered an area of 13 ha.
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Religious Monuments
Pojan Monastery
Not far from the ancient town of Apollonia is the Pojan Monastery, with the beautiful St. Mary's Chapel. This is an ancient monastery, as evidenced by an inscription on the left side of its west wing, and was reconstructed by the Byzantine Emperor, Andronicus Palaeologus the Second. Below the inscription there is a painting of the emperor's family, which features eight people in regal ceremonial dress. Another inscription on a stone slab found at the bottom of an outer southern wall of the chapel, bears the date 31 March 858. The whole interior of this chapel built in the Byzantine style was once covered in paintings. The church features the first four icons of the iconostasis. Here and there on the surrounding walls one can see bas-reliefs of the ancient town of Apollonia. The chapel is dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady, Saint Mary, celebrated on the 15th of August each year, day in which a regional fair is held in the area.
This is a sultan-style mosque, with a dome that was built in the second half of the 16th century. It consists of a prayer hall and a minaret build of carved stone. This monument is noted for the harmonious distribution of its windows. The design and construction of this mosque were carried out by Sinan, an architect of Albanian origin who was one of the most important mosque builders in the Ottoman Empire. His greatest work remains the Great Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul.
Kuzum Baba is located on the Eastern part of Vlora, about 30 meters above sea level. It is a terrace carved out by sea waters, about 200-300 meters long. On top of the hill is the Kuz Baba Tekke, the religious centre of the Bektashi sect in the Vlora region.
Kubelie Mosque
The Kubelie Mosque is located in the centre of Kavaja town. The mosque and its portico were built around 1735-1736. It is the most important cult monument in Kavaja.
Ceta Church
The Ceta Church is located close to the village of Zig-Xhafaj, to the north of Kavaja. It is a unique church, believed to have been built in the 13th century. Inside the church are several frescoes layered one on top of the other. The Church is called the "Shëne Premte" (Good Friday) Church, and belongs to the Roman-Gothic style of architecture, which speaks of the influence of various trends. The central wooden iconostasis was painted by the great master of Albanian iconography, Kostandin Shpataraku.
The Bazaar Hamam was built in the sixteenth century and it has been well preserved. Its roof is a chain of conical cupolas covered with stone plates. Beyond the wooden bridge there is a later structure that serves as a dressing room. The older building is located further down the road. It has hot and cold rooms. The hamam was rebuilt in 1874, it has 8 windows and a well-known Ottoman mosque.
The Rubiku church is located on a rocky hill in the small industrial town of Rubik ( km from... ). The church is an important cult object of the 12th and 13th centuries. Its construction finished in 1272. The church is well known for its frescoes and mural paintings. The building is a monument of culture and is of interest from the construction and architectural point of view. In the past, the Rubik Church served as a Benedictine Abbey and as a Franciscan Monastery.
This is a famous cultural monument in the city of Shkodra. It is located behind the Rozafa castle to the South. The Lead Mosque was built in 1773 by Mehmet Pasha Bushati, in the style of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.
Ethem Bey's Mosque
This mosque is in the centre of Tirana. Its construction started in 1798 and was completed in 1821. It is a typical case of a mixture of Albanian construction tradition applied in mosque architecture. Of special interest are the painted carvings inside the dome.
apllan Pasha's Turbe (Tomb)
Kapllan Pasha's Turbe is located on 28 Nëntori street. It is part of the monumental cemetery complex of the First Tirana Mosque, which was destroyed during the Second World War. The complex included six other monumental graves of the same type, but with varying dimensions. The only tomb remaining today is that of Kapllan Pasha, a former ruler of Tirana. By definition a turbe is a monumental grave with an octagonal structure and 4 metres high. Kapllan Pasha's remains were later repatriated and reburied in Istanbul.
Tirana Attractions
Grand Park & City Zoo
South of downtown Tirana, Tirana Albania
Home to the man-made Tirana Lake, a post-bloom Botanical Garden, a Martyr's Cemetary (the resting place of 900 combatants who fought for Tirana during WWII) and a fairly bereft City Zoo. View of Tirana and Mt. Dajti from the Cemetary are striking and the Grand Park is a still a green escape from the sounds of city life.
International Center of Culture
Boulevard Deshmoret e Kombit, Tirana Albania
A symbolic Albanian structure, the International Center of Culture is housed in landmark white marble pyramid in the center of Tirana. Originally the mausoleum for Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha, the "Pyramid" has seen the eviction of Hoxha's corporeal remains and the burgeoning of Albania's interest in the culture and arts.
National History Museum
Skanderbeg Square, Tirana Albania
Tracing Albanian history through the centuries, the National History Museum's timeline halls are dedicated to sequential eras, including the first-known inhabitants, the Illyrians, the Roman Empire, the Ottomans and Communist rule. Historical accounts are presented in English along with visuals and artifacts, including a reproduction of Skenderbeg's famed goat's head helmet and two-man sword.
Skenderbeg Square
Tirana Albania
Tirana's main square and one of Tirana's most frequented points of interest, Skenderbeg Square is steeped in history. Named for Skenderbeg, the Albanian national hero who briefly ousted the Turkish Ottoman Empire in the 15th century and is still, over 500 years later, a beloved ideal of Albanian national identity, Skenderbeg Square, which in its current asphalt layout is the direct result of Communist rule, is home to the Ethem Bey Mosque, the Clock Tower and, fittingly, the towering Skanderbeg Statue.
Tirana University
Rectorate, University of Albania Square, Tirana Albania
After moving the engineering students to a seperate Polytech University in 1991, Tirana University has specialized in economics, natural sciences, medicine and the humanities. Founded in 1957 under Communist rule, the Tirana University buildings have a spartan architecutural feel.
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