Discovering Shquipëria

Shqipëria? Yes, that’s how you say “Albania” in the Albanian language. You can see it on the coins. 

 

And in a small plaza surrounded by government buildings, I noticed signs that said Republika e Shqipërisë, i.e. Republic of Albania. 

I’ve always been interested in linguistics but I never realized that Albanian is one of those outlier languages that has no relatives among the languages of the world. Unlike the languages spoken in all of the countries that made up the former Yugoslavia, it isn’t a Slavic language. Of course, over the centuries, Albanian borrowed words from other languages as it came in contact with other groups of people and fell under the rule of other empires. Kledi told us that it’s a very difficult language to learn. Fortunately for me, most Albanians speak English, especially the younger ones. English language instruction begins in the first years of elementary school. In fact, when we met Kledi’s fourteen-year old daughter a few days later, we were impressed by her fluent American-accented English. 

 

By the way, here’s the flag of Albania with the double headed eagle in black on a red field. The photo shows it flying from the façade of one of government buildings near the hotel. And notice that the flag next to it, which is mostly obscured in the photo, is the flag of the European Union. However, Albania is not a member of the EU. The country has applied for membership but has to meet certain economic milestones before it attains that status. Kledi mentioned that more and more foreign investment coming to Albania. One example is in the south, where Canadian companies are operating crude oil wells. 

Our official tour began with Kledi leading our group of nine to a nearby statue of Suleiman Pasha, who founded the city of Tirana in 1614, when Albania was part of Ottoman Empire. The name of the city means “near the riverbank.” 

A short distance from the statue was a monument to the resistance and the liberation of the city from the Nazis on November 17, 1944, during World War II. As I may have mentioned in my previous post, Albania’s resistance movement worked with the Red Army and Allied forces. The style of the statue is representative of the style favored by the Communists.

 

On our way to Skanderbeg Square, we passed by a mobile museum displaying the types of traditional clothing from different areas of the country. Many of the outfits featured detailed needlework and were reserved for special occasions, such as weddings and national holidays.

 

Skanderbeg Square is the largest plaza in the country and it’s paved with beautiful stone tiles, which can be slippery when wet.

The square is named after a mid-15^th century Albanian military commander known as Skanderbeg. As a young boy, he was taken from his noble Christian family by the ruling Ottoman Turks to be raised as a janissary. This meant he was raised as a Muslim and trained to become a loyal soldier in the Ottoman army. This was a common practice in lands ruled by the Ottomans. However, when he was 38 years old, Skanderbeg returned to his home and devoted the rest of his life to fighting the Turks on behalf of the Albanians. To this day, he is seen as a national hero in Albania. 

 

Also on the square is the large Opera House, which was a gift from the Soviets. The building with the large mosaic on the façade is the National Museum, built in 1982. The mosaic is an example of the Socialist Realist style. Kledi pointed out the central figure, a very serious looking woman holding a rifle, and mentioned how communism provided women with a lot of new opportunities, including greater access to education and employment. Today, many women in serve in the government and have full-time jobs. Childcare is state-supported and very affordable.

We had to be careful as we walked across the square to avoid colliding with the electric scooters that were zipping past. I was surprised to learn that at Christmas time, there’s a big Christmas tree in the middle of the square. Kledi told us that everyone celebrates the holiday, but doesn’t observe it in a religious way. Since religion was outlawed during the communist era, many Albanians are atheists. Although the population is composed of people from many different religious backgrounds, there doesn’t seem to be any friction based on religion. 

 

From the square we could see an unusual looking building resembling a head wearing a helmet. Kledi explained that it was simply a multi-use building containing both residential and commercial space.

There were quite a few examples of interesting modern architecture near the city center.

Not far from Skanderbeg Square is a former underground bunker designed as a shelter in the case of nuclear attack. It was intended to be used as a command center for government officials.

Later in the morning, we got a completely different view of Tirana when we rode a cable car up to a national park on nearby Dajt Mountain.

On our way to the lower cable car station, we drove through a residential area of tall apartment blocks built during the 1970s and 80s. Each of the small apartments was typically occupied by eight to ten people. The buildings have no elevators or insultation. According to Kledi, the buildings were constructed quickly and without attention to quality. As a result, they are now in a state of deterioration. Housing is a problem in Tirana, as the population of the city continues to grow. Roughly one third of the country’s 2.7 million people live in the capital, and the number is constantly increasing. 

 

The cable car ride covered 2.5 kilometers and took about 20 minutes so I had plenty of time to look down at the landscape. As we ascended, the contoured hillsides became greener and greener. I later learned from Kledi that the contours are a result of a geological process. The Balkan peninsula is a subduction zone, i.e. it’s where the African tectonic plate meets and slides under the Eurasian tectonic plate. Another result of the process is seismic activity in the subduction zone. In fact, every hundred years or so, there’s an earthquake in the Balkans. The most recent significant earthquake in Albania was a 6.4 magnitude quake that took place in 2019. 

When we reached the top cable car station, at an elevation of 1100 meters above sea level, we had an excellent lunch served family style in a restaurant in the park. I enjoyed the typical Albanian dishes, such as cornbread with yogurt sauce; a salad of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, and olives; böreks (phyllo turnovers with various fillings); a steaming mixture of peppers, tomatoes, and soft cheese for dipping rolls into (fergesë?); and a dish of meatballs in sauce. However, the dessert was a total surprise – tres leches cake has obviously conquered the world.

 

There’s also a hotel in the park, and a recreation area that’s popular with local residents.

 

Once we were back near sea level (the elevation of Tirana is only 361 feet), we drove to a very  large bunker on the outskirts of the city. Built between 1972 and 1978, it is now called Bunk’Art 1 and was opened as a museum within the last ten years. 

Hoxha, the Albanian dictator, was convinced that the Soviet Union or the United States would launch a nuclear attack on Albania. Over an eight-year period, from 1975 to 1983, he had over 173,000 bunkers built around the country (an average of one bunker for every 11 people). Most are small but the one we were visiting could accommodate and support 600 people for several months. And it’s where Hoxha thought he and his generals could survive a nuclear attack. Building the bunkers was dangerous work, usually performed by prisoners and soldiers who dug tunnels into the mountains. Hundreds died in the process. 

The bunker is located on an active army base. After a short hike through a wooded area, we reached the entrance to the bunker. Soon we were in a multilevel underground city. Breathable air was supplied by oxygen generators throughout the bunker.

 

Exhibitions in various rooms of the bunker provided a wealth of information about the Albanian experience during World War II, beginning with the invasion by Italy in 1939, the start of the Albanian resistance movement in 1942 (in which Hoxha was involved), and finally the Nazi German takeover of the country in the summer of 1943. Approximately 20,000 Albanians lost their lives during the war. 

 

From the exhibits, I also learned a lot about Hoxha’s rise to power as the war came to an end. The majority of Albanians were poor farmers who initially supported Hoxha. By the time they realized what Hoxha had planned for the country, it was too late to do anything to stop him. Anyone who opposed him was denounced as an enemy of the state. 

 

While the bunkerization program was going on in the 1980s, Albanians were suffering through a widespread famine. But anyone who complained about the lack of food faced a ten-year prison sentence. 

 

Hoxha’s private quarters looked quite comfortable. He had an office, a bedroom, and his own bathroom. He never actually slept in the bunker.

 

After our visit to the bunker, a traditional Albanian dinner accompanied by exuberant musical entertainment lightened the mood. The instruments featured were accordion, clarinet, mandolin, and tambourine.

Once again, the food (all vegetarian) was excellent. I couldn’t stop eating the fresh bread dipped in olive oil. But the highlight of the meal was the stuffed eggplant.

While I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the city of Tirana, I was also looking forward to an excursion into the countryside the next day.  

Return to the Adriatic

A couple of years ago, I explored the western coast of the Adriatic Sea on an OAT small ship adventure. I was entranced by the Adriatic’s clear blue waters, the gentle climate of the region, the mouth-watering cuisine, and the rich and complex history of the area. Therefore, it seemed like returning to explore the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea was a logical next step. 

 

The itinerary of OAT’s Crossroads of the Adriatic adventure included Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia, countries on the Balkan peninsula that were formerly parts of Yugoslavia. Although I knew there had been armed conflicts in this area fairly recently, my knowledge of the history of the Balkans was fairly limited. But I welcomed the opportunity to learn more about the region. 

Somewhat as an afterthought, I decided to add on a pre-trip extension to Albania, another country on the Balkan peninsula. It was the southernmost country I visited during the trip. 

 

Before the trip, the main thing I knew about Albania was that it had been completely cut off from the rest of the world for decades. Until 1991, no one could leave the country and no one could enter the country. I was curious about how the Albanian people were making the transition from an isolated socialist society to an open capitalist society.

 

In addition, a friend had told me that Albania was one of the few European countries that had managed to save nearly its Jewish population during World War II. In fact, I later learned that Albania was the only country where the Jewish population increased during the Holocaust. That information intrigued me and provided a good reason for me to start off my trip to the Balkans with five days in Albania. 

 

I really had no idea what to expect when I arrived in Tirana, the capital of Albania, on a bright sunny afternoon in April. On my way into the city from the airport, I was favorably impressed by the decent condition of the roads. The surrounding countryside looked invitingly green. Close to the city center, where our hotel was located, there was a lot of traffic. The buildings were a mixture of tall skyscrapers and older, lower structures with red tile roofs. There was also plenty of construction going on. As soon as I dropped off my luggage in my room, I was eager to explore. 

 

A few others in my OAT group had arrived a day early, like I had. We met with Kledi, our tour leader for Albania, and set out for a short neighborhood walk.

I was very pleased with the location of our hotel, on a quiet side street right in the heart of the city. I was equally pleased to note there were two gelato shops just a few steps away. In addition, there was a modern multi-level shopping mall right across the main road. 

 

A few minutes’ walk brought us was a very attractive pedestrian zone. It was actually part of a castle that went back to the sixth century, i.e. the Byzantine era. The old castle walls were rebuilt in late 1780s and early 1800s. Nowadays, this is where locals and tourists go to find open air cafés, restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops. 

 

As we walked along, the chirping of birds and the scent of jasmine filled the air. Of course, I couldn’t read any of the signs that were written in Albanian, but Kledi pointed out several places where we could try the local cuisine. Before long, all of us were seated at outdoor tables at the Shendeverë Wine Bar and Restaurant. Perusing the English language menu listings, I saw many items that seemed similar to dishes I’d enjoyed in Greece, Turkey, and Italy. 

 

I shared my dinner with Anita, a fellow traveler from Massachusetts. We had a lovely salad, excellent bread that we dipped into very flavorful olive oil, a platter of grilled vegetables (peppers, carrots, and zucchini and eggplant). 

For a main course, we chose for a main course, Tave Kosi. This is an Albanian specialty which reminded me of a quiche without a crust. Big pieces of tender lamb were embedded in a creamy mixture of eggs, yogurt, and rice. 

 

All of the food was delicious. My only regret was that I didn’t have room for dessert. But in the coming days, there would be many more opportunities to try all kinds of Albanian food. 

 

Since the weather was beautiful, Anita and I continued exploring after dinner. Kledi had mentioned that we weren’t far from a pyramid that we could climb for excellent views of the city. However, we made the mistake of looking for something resembling the Egyptian pyramids at Giza. Eventually, we realized that this pyramid was a modern looking construction covered by several staircases going off in different directions. They all led up to various platforms that looked out over the city from a variety of vantage points. The juxtaposition of different architectural styles from different periods of time made for fascinating views. 

 

Fortunately, all the stair climbing helped me recover my appetite, allowing me to stop for gelato on the way back to the hotel. After considering the wide selection of flavors, I settled on Black Forest cherry, which was vanilla ice cream with swirls of cherry and chocolate. It was absolutely delicious, and a good-sized scoop cost only 100 Lek (a little over a dollar). 

By 8pm, when we finally got back at the hotel, I’d had six hours of immersion in Albania and I liked what I’d seen so far. Before I went to sleep, I reviewed some of my earlier reading about the country’s long and complicated history. Here’s a brief overview:

 

Albanians consider themselves descendants of the Illyrians, who were the original inhabitants of the area. The Illyrians fought the Romans for many years until they were eventually absorbed into the Roman Empirein the 2nd century BCE. After the division of the Roman Empire, the region became part of the Eastern (Byzantine) Roman Empire. In the 7^th century, Slavs from the north arrived in this part of the Balkans. Much of modern-day Albania became part of the Slavic Bulgarian Empire in the 9^th century. During the Middle Ages, several different principalities controlled the region until they were defeated by the Ottomans in the late 15^th century. Albania remained part of the Ottoman Empire until 1912 when the modern state of Albania declared its independence and chose its own king. Italy invaded the kingdom of Albania in 1939. The country became a protectorate of Nazi Germany during World War II. When the war ended, the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania was established with Enver Hoxha as its all-powerful leader. In the coming days, I learned much more about Hoxha and this repressive period of Albania’s history that he ushered in. Since 1991, the country has been a republic with a parliamentary system of government. 

 

Before the official start of our tour, Anita and I had a full day for independent exploration. To fortify myself, I began with a hearty and healthy Mediterranean style breakfast – eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, feta, whole grain bread, and delicate turnovers filled with spinach and cheese. 

 

The terrace of the hotel offered great views of the city in the early morning light. 

Our first stop was the modern Orthodox Church where I was entranced by the dazzling mosaics. 

 

Considering Albania’s recent history of totalitarianism, Anita and I decided to make our next stop the House of Leaves, or the Museum of Secret Surveillance, which was located right across from the Orthodox Church.

 

The museum is dedicated to highlighting the once-hidden sinister activities that took place during the reign of Albania’s strongman leader, Enver Hoxha. He was initially attracted to communism and fought with the partisans against the Nazis during World War II. After the war, he turned his back on the Soviet Union and set out to create an independent socialist state in Albania. He considered both the Soviet Union and the U.S. as external enemies. 

 

At the same time, Hoxha was also preoccupied with internal enemies. Outside the entrance to the building we saw a sculpture depicting giant old-fashioned listening devices, a reference to the routine surveillance of the Albanian population during Hoxha’s regime.

Since no photographs were allowed inside the building, I’ll try to describe what we saw. The wide range of equipment on display was used by the government to track the activities and the thoughts of every single person in the country. People were encouraged to turn in family members, friends, and casual acquaintances who might say something as innocuous as, “There was no butter in the store today.” This was considered a criticism of the socialist system and the person who uttered the remark would be labeled an enemy of the state. The person could then be seized, imprisoned, tortured, and even executed. This practice resulted in an atmosphere where it was impossible to trust anyone. 

 

In addition, Hoxha extracted vengeance on those he perceived as personal enemies, including a woman who had rejected his marriage proposal. When he learned that she was engaged to another man, he immediately arranged for her and her fiancé to be arrested and executed. 

 

We saw rooms where torture took place and lists of the thousands of people who were imprisoned and executed as enemies of the state. This included a large number of religious figures, especially members of the Roman Catholic Church. Of course, the government had complete control over the information that the Albanian people received about the outside world. 

 

I’m glad the present government has brought this grim chapter of Albanian history to light. School groups routinely visit the House of Leaves. Given the current situation in the U.S., I wish every American had a chance to see what happens when authoritarianism takes over and people lose their basic rights.

 

Needless to say, our visit to the House of Leaves was a chilling experience. While it was a sobering way to begin the day, it provided an essential learning experience that helped me begin to understand Albania today. 

 

Afterwards, Anita and I walked, and walked, and walked. Tirana is a very walkable city and the fact that traffic stops for pedestrians who want to cross the street made walking even more enjoyable. We found our way to Skanderbeg Square, Tirana’s main square, which is dominated by a large-scale mural dating back to the socialist era.

 

A trio of musicians was entertaining passersby in the square.

 

The Ethem Bey mosque, which dates back to the 1790s, is adjacent to Skanderbeg Square. The interior is beautifully decorated. The majority of Albania’s population is Muslim, a legacy of the period of Ottoman domination. However, according to Kledi, for most Albanians, it’s a cultural identity rather than a strict religious practice. Of course, all religions were banned during the socialist period.

We browsed in a modern well-stocked supermarket and later strolled through the sprawling open air bazaar, where locals come to buy vegetables, grains and dried beans, fresh and dried fruits, nuts, and assorted housewares.

At one point, we walked past the old castle walls and returned to the pedestrian area for an al fresco lunch. 

We walked across a pedestrian bridge that spans a small river running through the city. 

Eventually, it was time for another gelato (so many flavors to try!). And all of this took place within twenty-four hours of our arrival in Tirana. I could hardly wait to see more of the city and the surrounding area under Kledi’s leadership.