Tirana

In 1614 Sulejman Bargjini Pasha, a local ruler from Mullet constructed a mosque, a bakery and a hamam (Turkish sauna) in Tirana but was not until 1920 that it became the capital of Albania, eight years after it gained independence in 1912.

There were many other cities which may appear to be more suitable, with bigger populations and long histories, but strategically Tirana was well situated and there was resistance to Communism in the other cities.

The construction of Central Tirana was part of the cooperation between King Zog of Albania and Fascist Italy. Ahmet Zog was the leader of Albania from 1922 to 1939, serving as Prime Minister (1922–1924), then as President (1925–1928), and finally as King (1928–1939). Florestano di Fausto and Armando Brasini, well known architects of the Benito Mussolini period in Italy planned the centre of Tirana.

Brasini created the plan for the ministerial buildings in the city centre. The plan underwent revisions by Albanian architect Eshref Frashëri, Italian architect Castellani and Austrian architects Weiss and Kohler. Modern Albanian parliamentary building served as a club of officers. It was there that, in September 1928, Zog of Albania was crowned King Zog I, King of the Albanians.

Between 1944 and 1991, socialist-style apartment buildings and factories began to appear and Skanderbeg Square was redesigned, for example Tirana’s former Old Bazaar and the Orthodox Cathedral were replaced by a Soviet-style Palace of Culture and the Parliament of Albania during the period of monarchy was turned into a children’s theatre (Puppet Theatre today).

The northern end of the main boulevard was renamed Stalin Boulevard and a statue of the Soviet leader erected. As private car ownership was banned, transport for the masses consisted mainly of bicycles, trucks and buses. After Hoxha’s death, a pyramidal mausoleum was constructed in his memory by the government. Now, it is known as the Pyramid, but has little to do with Enver Hoxha, having been turned into a cultural centre of Tirana. Today many ugly, Soviet style buildings tell the story of how Communism swept across Albania and the struggle for freedom which took place.