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Skanderbeg Square
Currently this elongated square represents the heart of Tirana. It is dominated by the large equestrian statue of Skanderbeg, a national hero who fought and avoided the invasions of the Turkish Empire. The statue was placed in the year 1968 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of his death and measures 11 meters high.
Until 1991, there was also a golden statue of the communist dictator Enver Hoxha, but it was torn down during the fall of communism by thousands of protesters.
Around the square are some of the must-sees in Tirana such as the Palace of Culture, the Eh'tem Bey Mosque, the Clock Tower, the National Museum of History, the Tirana International Hotel and other official buildings. Besides being one of the liveliest areas of the city, it is one of the best places to be amazed by the chaotic traffic that surrounds the square.
Et'hem Bey Mosque
Built between 1789 and 1821, this mosque is one of the oldest buildings in the Albanian capital. Throughout the communist period, more than 2,000 places of worship between mosques and churches were closed to the public or destroyed, until in 1991 about 10,000 people entered without the permission of the authorities into the mosque to pray, taking advantage of a a multitude of revolts that would destabilize power and with it the fall of the communist regime in Albania. From that moment the spaces dedicated to prayer were reopened and religious freedom returned to the country.
Both its exterior and interior are decorated with frescoes related to nature, something not very common in Islamic art.
clock tower
It is one of the most symbolic monuments to see in Tirana and is located next to the Et'hem Bey mosque. With its 35 meters high, it was considered the tallest building in the city at the time of its construction, in 1822 under the orders of Haxhi Et'hem Bey and that was possible thanks to the contribution of the most empowered families. Tirana.
In 1928, Tirana City Council placed a German clock that was damaged years later during World War II. Inside there are some stairs which can be climbed to contemplate the chaos of the city center.
National Museum of Albanian History
Opened in 1981, it is the most important museum to see in Tirana and the largest in Albania. It was built where previously the old Town Hall was located, demolished in the 60s.
Highlights its giant mosaic that is on the main facade of the building called "The Albanians." Inside we find an extensive collection of archeology, the replica of Skanderbeg's sword and a whole plant dedicated to the era of the communist regime.
Culture palace
Formerly here was the Old Bazaar. Now, this building finished building in 1963 houses the Opera House, the headquarters of the national ballet and the National Library.
Postblloku, the Memorial to Communist Isolation
The monument was created by the writer and ex-president Fatos Lubonja and the artist Ardian Isufi. This commemorates the political prisoners of the country who suffered under the Hoxha regime. The elements that make up the place are one of the small defensive concrete bunkers that are found all over the country, a part of the Berlin Wall of Postdamer Platz painted with bright colors, and different concrete supports from Spaç's famous work field, where thousands of political prisoners were condemned with years of forced labor in the copper mine until death between 1968 and 1990.
Boulevard Dëshmorët e Kombit
It is the main and great avenue of the capital. It crosses the entire center of the city, and connects the Skanderbeg Square with the University of Tirana. The length and breadth of this street is where more movement we will find in Tirana and where you will see first hand how crazy the Albanians are when they have their hands on the wheel.
Tirana Pyramid
With this name we know what was the museum of the communist leader Enver Hoxha, the same dictator who ruled the country for almost 50 years and led him to poverty. This pyramid-shaped construction, inaugurated on October 14, 1988, was designed by her daughter to pay her homage and record her greatness. In 1999, during the Kosovo War, it was used as a base by NATO and later as a center for congresses and exhibitions, even a nightclub. Today we find it in a considerable state of abandonment due to the great rejection of the population. Possibly the "monument" more curious and less beautiful to see in Tirana.
Bridge of Tabak
It is a stone bridge from the Ottoman period of the 19th century. It linked Tirana with the eastern highlands, and it was the route through which livestock entered the city. It was located on the Lana stream but in 1930 the river was diverted and the bridge was abandoned. Some 70 years later, the bridge was restored to be used. Currently, it is considered one of the most important monuments of cultural heritage and urban development in the city.
The statues hidden in the Art Museum
In the back part of the Art Museum there are several statues of the era of the communist regime. Nowadays, they try to hide to erase their darker past. If you do not know they are there, they are very difficult to see.
Stroll through the Blloku Neighborhood
Formerly the Blloku District, it was an exclusive area where the communist leader Enver Hoxha and some other political class families resided. During the communist era, people on foot could not access this place, since it was a monitored area. Now it is the most 'cool' neighborhood of Tirana, where we can find hundreds of cafes, restaurants and bars, and where local people take the opportunity to meet.
Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ
It was inaugurated in 2012 and is the third cathedral with the same structure in the Balkans. The bell tower measures 46 meters high and the dome is located about 32 meters. In the complex we can find a library and a small museum.
Currently, the Cathedral is a major tourist attraction and one of the most modern buildings in Tirana, and why not say it, a little desacorde the type of buildings and buildings that predominate in the Albanian capital.
