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Gjirokastra is a picturesque museum town in southern Albania.
Gjirokastra is like an Albanian eagle perched om the mountain
side with a mighty citadel for its head.
The fortress surveys the Drino Valley above the three and
four-storey houses clinging to the slopes.Both buildings and
streets are made of the same white-and-black stone.
Gjirokastra´s population is around 40,000 and one of the
biggest cities of southern Albania. The name Gjirokastra comes
from Illyrian Argyres Tribe which inhabited these parts of Europe.
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Gjirokastra was well established by the 13th century,
but the arrival of the Turks in
1417 brought on a decline.By the 17th century Gjirokastra was thriving again with a flourishing
bazar where embroidery,felt,silk and the still-famous white cheese were traded.
Ali Pasha Tepelena took the town in the early 19th century and strengthened the citadel.
Today all new buildings must conform to a historical preservation plan.
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Things to See
IN the center of town is the Memedheu ABC Monument
,commemorating the renaissance of Albanian education
around the turn of the 20th century.
The monument affords an excellent view of the town.Dominating the town is the 14th-century citadel,now
a Museum of Armaments ,whith a collection of old cannons and guns .
During the 1920s the fortress was
converted into a prison and the Nazis made full use of it during their stay in 1943-1944.
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The 17th-century Turkish baths are below the Cajupi Hotel
in the lower town,near the polyclinic.Gjirokastra has a lively Sunday market.
Places to Stay & Eat
Two cheap hotels are always worth a try.The Argjiro Hotel is
right next to the Cajupi.
Across the street is the Hotel Sopoti.The
Hotel Cajupi is located prominently on the main taxi square,just before the old town.
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By far the most accommodating place to stay is the rooms of Haxhi Kotoni. Very
cosy singles/doubles cost 2000/3000 leke (about $15-$20) including breakfast.The "Bing Crosby" suite is a sight to behold.
Eating places are thin on the ground in Gjirokastra.
The Argjiro Restaurant next to
the hotel of the same name is about as cheap and convenient as you will get.
On the hill high above the town is the Tourist Restaurant
with a great view but higher prices.Follow the road past the Kotoni rooms to walk to it
in about 20 minutes.
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Getting There & Away
Gjirokastra is on the main bus route from Tirana to Kakavija and Saranda .Gjirokastra is not far from northern Greeks towns.
Most through buses stop on the main highway below Gjirokastra.Some buses depart from
Cajupi Hotel below the citadel ,including one to Tirana at 5 am.
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Go back to :
Welcome to Albania
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