After a few days in Albania’s capital city of Tirana, we took a day trip to Berat, located about 60 miles to the south.
We set out on a sunny morning and soon left the city behind. People living on the outskirts of Tirana maintain a traditional lifestyle. In fact, 50 percent of the population lives outside of urban areas, often with several generations of a family living together. They have small farms where they may grow crops such as alfalfa, and keep a few cows for the milk they can sell locally. However, Kledi told us that this way of life is dying out as younger people seek jobs in the cities or even move out of the country. Dairy products make up an important part of the Albanian diet. People consume a lot of yogurt, butter, buttermilk, and cheese curds. Although I lived in Wisconsin for four years when I was in college, I wasn’t really familiar with cheese curds. In Albania, I learned how delicious they can be when combined with sweet peppers or meat in a warm, creamy mixture.
Agriculture remains an important part of the economy along with tourism, crude oil production, and the manufacturing of clothing and shoes. Farmland was distributed by the government during a period of land reform in the mid-1990s. Some 40% of the population is still involved in farming. The government is trying to diversify the economy. They’ve made progress but Albania still has a long way to go to catch up to its European neighbors. Kledi reminded us that Albania cut ties with Yugoslavia in 1941 because the Albanian leaders felt the Yugoslav government wasn’t adhering strictly enough to Communist practices. In the 1950s, Albania cut its ties to the Soviet Union and China for the same reason. As a result of its isolation, Albania’s economy stagnated.
Since 1991, the government has shifted its focus away from spending on defense and heavy industry to developing the country’s infrastructure. I was impressed by a modern 1.5 mile tunnel and a recently built highway as we traveled south.
When our conversation turned to current events, Kledi stressed that Albanians have very little in common with Slavic culture and are worried about the growing menace from Russia. They strongly support the Ukrainians in the current conflict with Russia.
Our first stop was actually in the small lakeside town of Belsh for a restroom and coffee break. Kledi ordered Turkish coffee for all of us. It arrived in tiny cups. The flavor wasn’t especially strong but it tasted smoky, as if someone had put a cigarette out in it. He reminded us to turn our cups upside down while there was still a little bit of coffee left in the bottom so he could “read” the coffee grinds. He learned how to do this from his grandmother. It’s a custom that has been passed down through the generations that few if any people take it seriously anymore.
Afterwards, we continued on our way to Berat through an agricultural area known for wine and saffron. Albanian wines are quite good, as is their olive oil.
Alongside the road, we passed a working pump for the first oil field. Oil was discovered in Albania back in 1918.
Our conversations with Kledi en route to Berat taught me more about the realities of life during the communist era. As part of the ban on religion, the government restricted the names that could be given to babies. Names associated with religion (for example, the name of a Christian saint or Muslim holy person) were no longer allowed, forcing parents to choose other names for their newborns. That’s how he got the name “Kledi,” which has no religious association.
Life for artists and writers was especially difficult during this time since the arts were a major focus of the government’s attempt to control the population. Kledi told us of an architect who designed one of Tirana’s more interesting high-rise buildings. Because it didn’t conform to communist standards, he was criticized for doing something that stood out from others and ended up having to serve 10 years in prison. Conformity was also enforced through governmental control of hairstyles for men. There were specific length requirements, not too long or too short.
And one very interesting note Kledi shared with us about the current state of affairs: Albania has a parliamentary system and the Socialist party has now been in power for three terms (12 years). They’re considered the more transparent and progressive of Albania’s two major political parties. In the upcoming elections, they are being challenged by a former leader who is attempting to make a political comeback. His underlying goal is to protect his family’s financial interests. And his slogan is (drumroll, please) - “Make Albania Great Again!“ However, Kledi expects the Socialists to win another term. (Update – the election was held on May 11, 2025, and it resulted in a fourth consecutive term for the Socialist party.)
Before long, we arrived in Berat, a city of a little over 60,000 that is considered the oldest city in the country. It’s known for its white Ottoman houses that cover the hillside and for a castle complex overlooking the town and the Osum River. Much of the medieval part of the city was demolished by the communists.
Berat’s wide promenade is a popular place for strolling and for socializing over coffee in the many cafés.
Above the white houses on the rocky hillside, you can see a pre-Muslim Orthodox church from the Byzantine era.
The Ottomans built Berat’s first mosque in 1492. Mosques were usually built on top of Christian churches. At one end of the promenade, we saw the curiously named Bachelors’ Mosque. It was built in 1827 for Berat’s unmarried craftsmen. The mosque is no longer active and the building currently houses a women’s clothing boutique.
Berat Castle is actually a sprawling 25-acre fortress complex whose walls were originally built in the 4thcentury BCE when Berat was an important trading center. Parts of the walls were rebuilt in the 17th century.
Most of what we can see within the fortress walls today dates from the 13th century, a time when the population was primarily Christian. The remains include twenty Byzantine era Albanian Orthodox churches and parts of an Ottoman era mosque. About 700 people still live in a village within the fortress walls. It was a steep walk from the promenade up to the entrance to the castle.
Once we were within the walls, we visited a woman in her 70s who has lived in the village for her entire life. While we chatted in the cozy living room, decorated with family photos, she served us an intensely flavored sweet that we couldn’t identify. It turned out to be candied wild oranges.
The first church we saw was the Cathedral of the Dormition of Saint Mary, an Albanian Orthodox church that was built in the 18th century. (By the way, I looked up the meaning of “dormition.” It means the passing of the Virgin Mary from earthly life.) The Onufri Museum of Icons is housed inside the church. It contains a collection of mid-16th century icons painted by Onufri that are carved in wood and plated in gold. It also features works by other artists who were influenced by him over a 250-year period.
Not far from the church was a restaurant where we stopped for lunch. It was quite a feast that included vegetable broth with vegetables, the usual salad, filo dough pies filled with wild stinging nettles, fërgesë (curds baked with tomatoes – the curds are made by boiling buttermilk until it separates into curds and whey), stuffed peppers, and ground beef sliders topped with tomatoes and cheese. Somehow, I managed to find room for dessert, too. The panna cotta and blueberries topped with kadaif (shredded wheat) was delicious.
After lunch, we climbed even higher, alongside some roaming goats, and eventually reached another historic church set on a hillside.
The Holy Trinity Church is a Byzantine style structure that dates back to the early 14th century. Unlike the Cathedral of Dormition, it’s no longer an active church.
We continued going uphill and were rewarded with sweeping panoramic views of Berat and the surrounding countryside.
At this elevation, we explored the ruins of an ancient acropolis and came across a horse calmly grazing.
We also gazed up at a towering minaret, all that remains of the early 15th century Red Mosque.
Before descending, we gathered for a group photo.
Storm clouds were gathering as we carefully made our way over the rocks and then down the slippery cobblestone paths.
No comments:
Post a Comment