 Berat, Kala, turkeys warning by JLBG | Reviews and photos of Berat attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Berat sightseeing. Berat Map |
 | Berat Things To Do | Tips 1 - 10 of 81 |  |
Mid way between Xhami e Mbretit and Xhami e Beqareve stands a school. However, this school is working in an ancient building that obviously was built for another purpose. On the north-eastern side, the main entrance (first photo) stands just before Hotel Mangalem, that appear on the right.
Photos 2 and 3 show the south-western side with two galleries with elegant columns and arches in the Turkish style. On the left, windows are closed with boards.
I wondered what was that building as none of the guidebooks I use said anything about it though the building is great looking. I finally found the explanation on VT in the excellent Berat page by Dritan.
I quote :
The Vrionis were one of the most powerful feudal families of Berat and Southern Albania. Several of them served as governors of the city and adjacent provinces during the ottoman period. Their house was destroyed during Albania's own 'cultural revolution'. This is what remains from their house. Thank you Dritan !
I tried to know more and learned that the Vrioni, obviously of Greek origin, took a main part in the struggles in the Balkans in the XIXth and were most of the time on the Ottoman side. Ilias Bej Vrioni (1882-1932) was an Albanian politician and landlord. He served as Prime Minister of Albania three times under king Zog. I suppose that the Berat house was looted much later.
I found also that Jusuf Vrioni was the usual translator in French of the books of Ismail Kadaré. I suppose he belongs to that family. I have just found in the introduction of Dritan's Berat page that he is indeed of that family. Thanks again Dritan! The first time I had a look at this excellent page, I must have read too fast! Leave a Comment
|
 | |  |
Visiting Berat?
Read reviews about Berat Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
The first photo shows the Mangalem district from the other bank of the Osum river. All the houses have their “many windows” front that gave the city the name of “the thousand windows city”. On the right, Shtëpia e Bardhe (bachelor’s mosque).
Other three photos show various aspects of the houses in Mangalem, all shot from Gorica side of the Osum river. Leave a Comment
|
 Berat, Teqe e Halvetije by JLBG
What is a tekke?
While most Muslim Albanians are Sunni, a strong minority belongs to mystic and tolerant Sufi orders, namely Bektashism and Halvetism, only slightly different. Both sects are lead by dervishes and their religious centers are not mosque but “teqe” (tekke in Turk). Tekke can be found through out Albania, either in large cities or in remote areas, where they were built when these sects were chased. Bektashism was founded in the 13th century in Turkey, but its headquarters are now in Albania. There is a web page on Bektashism (click on “mesime” to get it in English). Leave a Comment
|
The first photo shows the Mangalem district and the hill topped by Kala district. The fortress does not appear as it is a little on the rear, only a flag is showing; It must be on top of the flag tower, at the southern end of the fortress.
The architecture of Berat though typically Balkanic, with corbelled buildings, does not show much wood as it occurs often in other places. The outer walls are painted in white but the abundance of the opening, looking dark, gives a very different look than white villages in Greece that on the contrary have usually few openings. Leave a Comment
|
Just behind Kisha e Shën Todrit (its roof can be seen in the background), an amazing statue stands under a shelter, together with some broken chairs, a slash open mattress and a broken baby-foot game. They seem to be all rubbles, including the statue of an old man with a beard writing on a paper with a half broken hand. Who is him? Why is it here? Given that he has the beard, it should not be a statue erected during the past regime. However, I have discovered on the photo a carving that I had not noticed. It says : “T Tada 87” or “I Jada 87”. It should be1887. Any body knows about the man represented?
Sept 11th. Thanks Suela for your suggestion of Jeronim de Rada (1814-1903). The words on the basement could actually be read as J. Rada. The date of 1887 fits with the dates of Jeronim de Rada. But that does not look at all like any other picture of him. Then that might be connected (how ?) with Jeronim de Rada but does not seem to represent him. Strange, isn’t it ?
Girolamo De Rada was born in Italy. He is known in Albanian as Jeronim De Rada. He is the best known writer of Italian-Albanian literature and a major figure of the Albanian nationalist movement in Italy at the turn of the XIXth.
In 2009, (photo 2), the whole place had been completely cleaned up and there were no rubbles anymore but the statue was still there. Another good thing was that there was now a little bar with a terrace, just in front of the statue!. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
Visiting Berat?
Read reviews about Berat Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
Near the river Osum, at the bottom of Mangalem, the Moslem district, Xhami e Beqareve (Bachelor´s Mosque), built in 1827. The word "beqar", which literally means bachelor, and refers to the young shop assistants, most of the time bachelors, whom the merchants in Berat used to hire as their own private militia. Leave a Comment
|
If you want to get the spirit of Berat, you must stroll in the steep and narrows alleys of Mangalem. They are all the same and all different. In 1988, when we visited Berat, it was very calm and peaceful. In 2007, it was still calm and peaceful but there are still very few tourists visiting Albania. Will it remain the same when a lot of visitors will have learned how wonderful the country is ? Leave a Comment
|
All five photos show close ups on Mangalem houses. In most of them, the top level is corbelled, which allows gaining a few square meters of living space!
In Berat, all houses are covered with Roman tiles, also called canal tiles because of their shape. This gives to the city a very different aspect than Gjirokaster, covered with slates. Leave a Comment
|
The entrance into Kala, with its double doorway, was protected by an imposing defense complex. It is partly destructed and it is not easy to understand how it should look.
The first photo shows the lowest part of the tower that stands over the inner doorway. Only the huge staircase remains.
The second photo was taken from the left of the first one and shows the doorway (and the parking lot). On the left, stand several remains of the defense complex that was mostly rebuilt by Michael II Comnenus Doukas, Despot of Epirus in the XIIIth. Leave a Comment
|
 Berat, street from Mangalem to
the castle by JLBGLeave a Comment
|
|
More Berat Travel Deals Luxury Hotel
Plan the perfect escape at Marriott Hotels. Search resorts & packages. Deal Luxury Hotel Paris
Stay 4 pay 3 ! till dec 28th - Cosy rooms - Design Boutique Hotel Islas Secas Panama
Luxury Eco Resort. A private island paradise. Sponsored Links
|
