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Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (55) The prison block was much used under Enver Hoxha’s regime. It became a museum in 1971. It had a nice collection of weapons from the past centuries. During the 1976 period, it was entirely looted and everything disappeared. The museum was closed for several years and opened recently. It displays now only weapons from WWII but is nevertheless interesting and deserves a quick visit.
The first photo shows a partisan fighting successfully a Nazi soldier. In front of them, German helmets and guns, displayed as trophies.
The second photo shows how the partisans were able to get across the barbed wires fences held by the Germans. They plated willow branches in order to make a kind of ladder that they put along the fence. Once on top, they threw one or two of these very thick wool cloak worn by the shepherds to make an easy way! Of course, once on the other side, they collected the cloaks! Leave a Comment
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We chose not to leave the castle by the nice paved staircase at the northern end shown on a previous tip but to go back to the western entrance … because our car was parked there! Thus, we had to walk again in the unlit ghost’s gallery with the tanks and canons! That was cool, anyway! Leave a Comment
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Xhamia e Pazarit (Market's Mosque) was built in 1757. In 1988, it was one of the few mosques that had not been destroyed by the Enver Hoxha regime and it even looked in good condition. The entrance with three arcades had recently received a new coating and was painted in white.
The first photo, shows the mosque and in the background the castle.
The second photo shows the mosque from the street. Leave a Comment
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The Mountains and countryside surrounding Gjirokaster are beautiful (where they have not been polluted!) Leave a Comment Address: Outskirts of town
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This large three storey house, characteristic of Gjirokastra, was built in 1820 and is almost entirely original.
We were lucky enough to be shown around by the owner, and a guide who translated for us. The house has been in the owner's family for over 200 years, and each floor is used during a different season of the year. The ground floor was used for storage, the first floor contains the winter rooms with small double paned windows, and the top floor with larger windows was used in summer.
On each floor were two or three living rooms, with divan seating around 3 walls, and canopied fireplaces. At the back of the rooms were the women's galleries (3rd photo, very bad quality sorry, it was very dark), where the female members of the family are supposed to conceal themselves, although our host explained that his family were more liberal and did not segregate their women.
One of the rooms at the top of the house was beautiful painted with eleborate designs on walls, ceiling, fireplace and on the wood of the door and gallery. The balcony afforded a magnificent view over the town and valley below.
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The castle in Gjirokaster is very well preserved. Walking through the inner chambers is a treat if you are an artillery nut as there are a lot of old WW2 era artillery and AA guns on display, along with some older and newer stuff. Forget labels of course but they have a certain sinister appeal in the dimly lit vaults :-)
Then out onto the battlements, which have a wonderful view over the old town and out to the mountains beyond. They also have an American plane which apparently was dragged up here in times past.
The castle is also home every year to a folk festival where the best of traditional Albanian music can be heard. Apparently it attracts an audience from as far away as Italy. Leave a Comment Directions: Above the old town
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All four photos were shot in 2007 and show typical ancient houses in the Varosh district, a little further the ethnographic museum. They are all different but all belong to the Balkanic style typical of Gjirokastra. This is what makes the city such a “must see”!
The fifth was shot in 1988 and is not different. Leave a Comment
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In front of the ethnographic museum, a platform is free of any house. I would not be surprised if a couple of houses have been put down when that was Enver Hoxha’s birth-house, in order to allow a better sight!
In 2007, it seems that it is used for some ball play (hand ball?) by the local kids! Leave a Comment
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Not far away, I spotted this ancient doorway that was great looking though not in the best condition (photo 1).
Photo 2 is an enlargement that shows the lintel on top of the entrance with the date “1847”. Most of the old part of Gjirokastra was built in the middle of the XIXth. Leave a Comment
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There are two accesses to the castle. This one is from the bazar and more specifically from the only street that goes upwards, beginning at Qafa e Pazarit. When coming from Çerçiz Topulli square, it is the first street on the right. It still belongs to the bazar area. Leave a Comment
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on August 19, 2007
on April 26, 2006
on March 24, 2006
