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Albania: Tirana photos

Tirana became an unofficial capital city in 1920, officially only in 1925. You can see a lot of typical communist architecture, as well as colorful houses and a lot of mosques – the old town was founded by the Turks in 1614. Tirana’s main square is Skanderbeg square with a statue the hero on a horseback. Until 1991, a 10-meter-long bronze sculpture of the dictator Enver Hodzha stood there. There was a strong personality cult around Enver Hodzha and, for some time, he and Stalin were close friends. While that held true, the Soviets built a Culture palace from white stone, which is now a a dominant at the southern side of the square.

 

National Historical Museum with a mosaic above the entrance, Tirana, Albania
National Historical Museum with a mosaic above the entrance, Tirana, Albania

To the left is the National Historical Museum with a nice mosaic above the entrance. Across the park, there is also a brick building of the National Bank of Albania and a few ministries. In the corner of the square there is one of the oldest preserved buildings in the city – Ethem Bey mosque built between 1789 and 1823. The clock tower is from 1822.

Continue around the ministries onto the boulevard to reach a park with several bunkers, a shopping center with restaurants and a golden something on the grass. Crossing the river, you will arrive to the Pyramid. This cement and steel building was originally a Enver Hodzha mausoleum, later a conference center. Today I would not even enter the structure and the Albanians would like to destroy it. But in front, there is a Bell of Peace, built from the shells picked up by children in the wild 90-ies.

Further down the boulevard there is a building of parliament, other ministry buildings including the Enver Hodzha offices and a small park with more bunkers and gallows. In a small alley to the right, there is a house where Enver Hodzha used to live.


Tento blogový článok je súčasťou série o Albánsku, ktorú si môžete prečítať tu. / This blogpost is part of the series about discovering Albania. Read it here.


Tirana sa stala provizórnym hlavným mestom už v roku 1920 a zoficiálnili to až v 1925. Je tu veľa z tradičnej komunistickej architektúry, ale aj farebné domy a veľa mešít, keďže staré mesto bolo založené Turkami v roku 1614. Hlavnou časťou je námestie Skanderbeg so sochou hrdinu na koni. Do roku 1991 tu stála aj 10 metrová bronzová socha diktátora Envera Hodžu, ktorý si pestoval silný kult osobnosti a istú dobu sa kamarátil aj so Stalinom. Kým sa kamarátili, Sovieti im postavili Palác Kultúry z bieleho kameňa, ktorý stojí nedaleko sochy.

Kúsok vedľa je Národné historické múzeum s peknou mozaikou nad vchodom. Oproti cez parčík je aj tehlová budova Albánskej národnej banky a pár budov ministerstiev. V rohu námestia je jedna z najstarších zachovalých budov v meste – mešita Ethem Bey postavená v rokoch 1789-1823. Neďaleká hodinová veža je zase z roku 1822. Ak pokračujete okolo ministerstiev ďalej po bulvári, prídete k parčíku s bunkrami, obchodným centrom s reštauráciami a zlatým čudom.

Za riečkou je Pyramída. Táto stavba z cementu a ocele bola pôvodne mauzóleom Envera Hodžu, neskôr konferenčným centrom. Dnes už by som dnu nevliezla ani ja a Albánci by ju chceli zbúrať. Pre ňou je Zvonec mieru, ktorý ukuli z nábojníc, ktoré pozbierali deti v divokých 90 rokoch. Ďalej po bulvári je parlament, ďalšie budovy ministerstiev vrátane kancelárií Envera Hodžu a malý parčík s ďalšími bunkrami a šibenicou. V malej uličke je potom aj dom, v ktorom Enver Hodža býval.

 

Statue of Skanderbeg with the Cultural Palace in the background, Tirana, Albania
Statue of Skanderbeg with the Cultural Palace in the background, Tirana, Albania

 

Pyramid, Tirana, Albania
Pyramid, Tirana, Albania

 

Tirana, Albánsko
The brick building of the National Bank, Tirana, Albania

 

Tirana, Albánsko
The Skanderbeg Square, Tirana, Albania

 

Tirana, Albánsko
Ministry buildings, Tirana, Albania

 

Tirana, Albánsko
Presidential Palace, Tirana, Albania

 

Tirana, Albánsko
Statue of Ismail Kemal, the first Prime Minister of independent Albanian government, Tirana, Albánsko

 

Tirana, Albánsko
A statue, Tirana, Albania

 

Tirana, Albánsko
A bunker in a park, Tirana, Albania

 

Tirana, Albánsko
Gallows in a park, Tirana, Albania

 

Tirana, Albánsko
Enver Hodzha’s house, Tirana, Albania

 

Tirana, Albánsko
Ministry building, Tirana, Albania

 

Tirana, Albánsko
Bell of Piece, Tirana, Albania

 

Tirana, Albánsko
Ethem Bey mosque, Tirana, Albania

 

Tirana, Albánsko
Traffic lights, Tirana, Albania

 

Tirana, Albánsko
Golden memorial in a park, Tirana, Albania

 


Tento blogový článok je súčasťou série o Albánsku, ktorú si môžete prečítať tu. / This blogpost is part of the series about discovering Albania. Read it here.


 

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