Albania has always been occupied by larger powers as it occupies a strategic position in Europe. From the Greeks to the Romans to the Ottomans to the Nazis to the Communists… it’s been like a revolving door of oppression.
After WWII, Albania was like North Korea. Until 1991, they were in a communist dictatorship.
They were totally isolated from most of the world outside the communist bloc.
The communists destroyed everything that remained of the Byzantine and Ottoman buildings. There are only Italian Fascist and Communist remaining, which, when combined with the modern buildings now being built is interesting. Still, when you hear of the old Byzantine markets being destroyed in the 1950’s because Khrushchev made a visit… it’s a shame.
This duo of squat blue blocks is called the twin towers. They were built after 9/11. Make of that what you will.
I was walking with the local guide and I asked about the wars Albania has gone through. Then, we saw this guy walking ahead of us.
“Oh. Do you think he would have been a soldier?” I asked.
”Probably,” he replied.
A Catholic Cathedral dedicated to St Paul was our first stop. Mother Teresa is also venerated in this country, as after she left for Calcutta, her mother and sister moved here.
It wasn’t a smart move, as soon after they relocated, the communists banned all religion from Albania. Mother Teresa was never allowed to see her family. They suspected that she was religious, so the government refused her many applications.
She was an absolute cow to her patients in India, denying them pain killers because “It was God’s will that the poor should suffer”, but I did feel for her being unable to see her family ever again because of a regime change.
Albania was officially atheist during 1967 to 1991. Over 2,000 churches and mosques were destroyed. Anyone caught practicing religion would be jailed.
Nowadays, it’s very easy going. For example, the country is 70 % Muslim but only 7 % practice. Our local guide is orthodox Christian, and is married to a Muslim. They celebrate Christmas, Ramadan, Easter…. It’s all good.
This is one of the few Muslim countries where it’s ok for people to enjoy a raki (like grappa: but stronger) with their coffee without it being an issue.
Honestly, isn’t that how it should be?
Albanian is considered one of the oldest languages in the world. It has no relatives anywhere. It’s thought that it is derived from the tribes of the Ilan people, who were cut off from everyone else, back in the day.
Written Albanian was forbidden to be used by the Ottomans for over 500 years. It’s quite amazing that it survived.
North and South Albanian dialects are very different. Sometimes they need translators to understand each other.The southern dialect is the official one.
There are bunkers all around the city, because during the Cold War the government was paranoid. They were sure that the great powers of the USA or Russia would invade, so they started a program ensuring there’d be enough bunkers for the whole population.
There are also tunnels between the government buildings, for the same reason. Nowadays, they are museums. This is the ceiling of the bunker we saw.
A few fun facts about Albania:
1 coffee shop for every 108 people.
Albanian is part of NATO, but is regarded as one of the poorest nations in Europe.
500 euros / month is the minimum wage.
750 euros / month is average.
It’s an agricultural economy.
Tourism is number 3, and is rapidly growing.
1 in 4 civilians were spies during the Cold War. You know, like the Stasi in East Germany. Grim times…
Housing here is expensive. 1,200 euros per square metre.
150 years wages to pay for a 100 square metre apartment.
Florence is the most expensive city in Europe. Tirana is close to that.
Healthcare and education is free. That’s something, I guess…
Look at this!! The local guide and I were talking about North Korea, when we rounded a corner and there was a propaganda mosaic.
“ This is SO North Korea!” I said.
He chuckled. “Communist propaganda,” he said.
Unlike Macedonia, the Albanians only had ONE statue in the main square. He is their National hero.
Gjergj Kastrioti (also known as Skanderbeg; c. 1405 – 17 January 1468.
He was taken by the Ottomans after they killed his family. He rose to be a general under them, even gaining the nickname of Alexander The Great because he was so good at Generalling.
Later he escaped from the Ottomans and came back home. He joined the factions and started a resistance movement that fought against the Ottoman Empire for 25 years. A mouse fighting against a pride of lions.
But look at how the Albanians have honoured him. Not just with a statue…
This apartment block overlooks the square where his statue is, and it depicts his face.
That’s pretty cool.
We were there on a Sunday, so I don’t know if the vibe would be different during the week, but the city was buzzing. People were out enjoying the sun, eating out and generally having a good time. It was a pleasure to be there.
The inner part of town was alive.
I guess Pokémon is international.
On the way to our evening stop, we saw Rozafa Castle. It was originally built by the Ilyric tribe 2,000 years ago, and then subsequent invaders kept it going.
The legend is that the castle was bing built by 3 brothers. Unfortunately, the walls kept crumbling.
They sought help from a holy man, who said that one of their wives needed to be sacrificed and buried under the walls for them to stay strong.
The oldest two princess told their wives to stay away from the castle, but the youngest one forgot to mention anything to his wife about this disturbing prophecy.
The next day, his wife and toddler son rolled up to the building site to bring her husband’s lunch. Big mistake.
When a mob surrounded her, baying for blood, she accepted her fate, but asked only these things:
That she be left with one eye, to look upon her baby boy.
To be left with one breast, to be able to feed him.
To be left with one arm, to cuddle her son.
To be left with one foot, to rock his cradle with.
It’s one of the first legends to describe sacrifice for the common good. Though to this day, it’s reported that the inside of the walls run with breast milk…
We went out to the pedestrian precinct for dinner, and we had a lovely meal. It was bustling, and alive with music, local families, tourists, stray dogs, and food thieves.
YES! We were sitting with a couple from Sydney and an old woman came up, started ranting at them and then swooped in and stole one of Carol’s cabbage rolls off her plate and ran off.
The waiter said she is a local woman who lives with her family but is insane.
We also had a couple of child beggars coming up to our tables, asking for money. That was sad.
Tomorrow we leave for Montenegro.
Dad joke of the day:
Now I’m wondering what the coffee shop to person ratio is in Australia!
What an interesting country. That building shaped like a face is amazing. Was the music in your video a live musician or a recording?
They were live musicians. You can see them at the start of the video before people started walking in front of them.