Gjirokastër – the stone city (UNESCO's World Heritage Site) (https://www.butrint.al)
Gjirokaster, UNESCO heritage site, in the scenic Drinos valley in Albania’s mountainous south is like a medieval mirage, overlooked by its ancient fort, with 17th- and 18th-century stone Ottoman houses cascading down the slopes.
The modern city of Gjirokastra comprises the old town, a fortress (the original focus of the settlement), the Ottoman districts situated on the ridges leading away from the fortress and the new town on the valley floor where most modern buildings and the university complex are concentrated. The traditional quarters of the city radiate around the fortress: Cfakë, Dunavat, Palorto, Varosh, Meçite, Hazmurat, Pazari i Vjetër.
The early history of Gjirokastra is relatively unknown. Due to the proximity of the Hellenistic settlement Antigonea (near Jermë) and the Roman city of Hadrianopolis (close to the village of Sofratike) it has frequently been assumed that the medieval fortress represents the first occupation of the site. However, recent excavations have revealed ceramics from four different phases of occupation before the Ottoman period: 5th -2nd-centuries BC, 5th -7th-centuries AD, 9th -10th-centuries and 12th -13th-centuries. The earliest of these phases also produced evidence of substantial block-built walls suggesting that there was a significant fortification on this side of the Drino valley in the pre-Roman period (before about 168 BC). Gjirokastra has always been a patriotic city and it was at the forefront of efforts to promote Albanian national identity during its history.
Being the birthplace of the Nobel-laurate writer Ismail Kadare and also of the communist leader Enver Hoxha, the city is intriguing and controversial as it preserves well all phases of history. There’s plenty to see, not only in this exceptional town, but also in the whole region. Very close to the old town, is Përmet, the city of roses crossed by Vjosa river, the only wild river in Europe. Another interesting unexplored region is Tepelena, with history and beautiful canyons and waterfalls.
