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I think Gjirokastra is absolutely beautiful. I am from gjirokastra, we have an old and a communist built part. We badly need money though since the buildings are collapsing. The atmosphere in the old town is amazing, maybe because it is old, not fixed, it has a huge castle, it's always rainy, and guess what? No tourists or MC Donalds, it is the real thing people.
I do not view Enver Hoxha in a positive light and neither do most Albanians. We think he isolated us for no reason from the rest of the world, and wasted billions of dollars in building bunkers when they could have been spent in hospitals, schools and other stuff. On one hand we were digging tunnels in mountains and on the other hand there were food shortages. Also, a huge number of the population suffered because of bad biographies. I dislike capitalism but what those people created in Albania wasn't... nice. Then, also Albania was isolated and poorer than today, thus those billions wasted had a much greater effect than one might think.
I do not view Enver Hoxha in a positive light and neither do most Albanians. We think he isolated us for no reason from the rest of the world, and wasted billions of dollars in building bunkers when they could have been spent in hospitals, schools and other stuff. On one hand we were digging tunnels in mountains and on the other hand there were food shortages. Also, a huge number of the population suffered because of bad biographies. I dislike capitalism but what those people created in Albania wasn't... nice. Then, also Albania was isolated and poorer than today, thus those billions wasted had a much greater effect than one might think.
AltinD, is your relative the one who has the paintings of Gjirokastra all over Google. Just wandering, they look nice.
Also, take it nice on all the anti-PBDNJ propaganda in here. First of all, if you talk about Gjirokastra the way you do, you have also talked about how Nano is Greek, then you are just giving excuses to them to claim Gjirokastra. I do not understand where you come up with Gjirokastra being a Greek colony. Look at the music of the region, look at the architecture, look at the souvenir shops in Gjirokastra, look at the people, look at how many speak Greek in the city, there is nothing enforcing your opinion. Also, consider the number of albanian politicians and artists that have their origins from this city: Aleksader Meksi, Nano, Hoxha, Fino, Kadare, Gjebrea to name a few. And what's that about a couple hundred of Albanians showing them how to respect our flag? A very pacifist stance indeed. By the way, the consulate is there because Gjirokastra is the city Albanians mostly use to get to Greece and because of Dropulli. It is not there to be viewed as a threat.
By the way, PBDNJ is a party about human rights and if you just label them as the tool of Greek nationalists then they might as well become that. It is not like we have waited with open arms for a party advocating human rights.
As for the education thing, one prefers the University of Tirana, however Gjirokastra is the smallest city in Albania having a university. It is also the center of many cultural events including the Albanian folk festival. Also, arguing about whether saranda, Gjirokstara, Dibra, or Shkodra is more inmportant, well it is kind of...
Also, take it nice on all the anti-PBDNJ propaganda in here. First of all, if you talk about Gjirokastra the way you do, you have also talked about how Nano is Greek, then you are just giving excuses to them to claim Gjirokastra. I do not understand where you come up with Gjirokastra being a Greek colony. Look at the music of the region, look at the architecture, look at the souvenir shops in Gjirokastra, look at the people, look at how many speak Greek in the city, there is nothing enforcing your opinion. Also, consider the number of albanian politicians and artists that have their origins from this city: Aleksader Meksi, Nano, Hoxha, Fino, Kadare, Gjebrea to name a few. And what's that about a couple hundred of Albanians showing them how to respect our flag? A very pacifist stance indeed. By the way, the consulate is there because Gjirokastra is the city Albanians mostly use to get to Greece and because of Dropulli. It is not there to be viewed as a threat.
By the way, PBDNJ is a party about human rights and if you just label them as the tool of Greek nationalists then they might as well become that. It is not like we have waited with open arms for a party advocating human rights.
As for the education thing, one prefers the University of Tirana, however Gjirokastra is the smallest city in Albania having a university. It is also the center of many cultural events including the Albanian folk festival. Also, arguing about whether saranda, Gjirokstara, Dibra, or Shkodra is more inmportant, well it is kind of...
This is out of the theme. Kind of provocative. Overly political. Trying to keep my cool here, somebody come here quickly.
I give up my defense of PBDNj in light of new evidence, although I think a human rights party is a brilliant idea. Too bad that they aren't that.
"almost all related to the Greek nationalists propaganda for Northern Epirus in some way. Funny the coincidence, I did not know they were all from GJR."
Take it easy here, even if you argue that Nano is too much pro-Greek, I think you go to far when you also put in people like Meksi (prime minister when
Albania joined the Islamic Organization), Hoxha and Kadare. Provide some evidence to support that position. And what about Cerciz Topulli, is he too a Greek ultranationalist?
About the bars thing, I was in Gjirokastra two years ago and did not notice something like that in the city itself. I have a hard time believing it. I will visit it again this summer and see. When I was there II remember that they were many souvenir shops with Albanian stuff, and couldn't remember many clubs/bars being named after Greeks, instead I remember places being named Argjiro and similar names. In Saranda there was more Greek being spoken but that was because many Albanian kids who fled young had come back and forgotten or spoke better in Greek.
About those who decide to become Greek so they can get a visa. Well, i dislike them as much as you do, however you must recognize its a natural reaction. When you live in Tirana, speak English, middle class, and you are young its easy to be ashamed of them, however many of this people are poorer than you think and have kids to support. Even if they are not that poor, I wouldn't go as far as to say they are selling their souls. I do not think that your nation makes up your soul, it is just too bad that these people are somewhat incomplete since they are ahamed of a part of who they are. My problem with them is not in the dislike of Albania as much as in the dislike of themselves as Albanian.
Also, I do not have statistics, however I believe that not many people from the city of GHJ actually have attempted and gotten visas in this way. Do not confuse the city with the area around it which includes Dropulli. Just if you look at the names Ghj doesn't seem like very much influenced by the Greeks. Neighbordhood names: Hasmurati, Palorto, Dunavati, Varoshe, and a mosque in the middle of the town. None of the famous people I mentioned from Ghj.have a Greek-sounding name: Fatos, Enver, Ismail, Ardit, Cerciz, Aleksander? Their representative in parliament is named Makbule Ceco, the challenger was Roland Bejko. Again, sorry with the details, I am just trying to show the city for what it is in this issue as much as possible.
By the way, I still think that you underestiamte Ghj value. I also do not believe that it has much economic significance, but historically, politically, and culturally, it has a tremendous significance. Its population now is low, but you must remember that Ghj is one of the few cities that has not grown in population since 1970. Then, when Albanian cities were much smaller it was not bad. It does organize the folklorik festival, it does have a university, it has famous people, it looks like a museum, what else is left for a small town?
"almost all related to the Greek nationalists propaganda for Northern Epirus in some way. Funny the coincidence, I did not know they were all from GJR."
Take it easy here, even if you argue that Nano is too much pro-Greek, I think you go to far when you also put in people like Meksi (prime minister when
Albania joined the Islamic Organization), Hoxha and Kadare. Provide some evidence to support that position. And what about Cerciz Topulli, is he too a Greek ultranationalist?
About the bars thing, I was in Gjirokastra two years ago and did not notice something like that in the city itself. I have a hard time believing it. I will visit it again this summer and see. When I was there II remember that they were many souvenir shops with Albanian stuff, and couldn't remember many clubs/bars being named after Greeks, instead I remember places being named Argjiro and similar names. In Saranda there was more Greek being spoken but that was because many Albanian kids who fled young had come back and forgotten or spoke better in Greek.
About those who decide to become Greek so they can get a visa. Well, i dislike them as much as you do, however you must recognize its a natural reaction. When you live in Tirana, speak English, middle class, and you are young its easy to be ashamed of them, however many of this people are poorer than you think and have kids to support. Even if they are not that poor, I wouldn't go as far as to say they are selling their souls. I do not think that your nation makes up your soul, it is just too bad that these people are somewhat incomplete since they are ahamed of a part of who they are. My problem with them is not in the dislike of Albania as much as in the dislike of themselves as Albanian.
Also, I do not have statistics, however I believe that not many people from the city of GHJ actually have attempted and gotten visas in this way. Do not confuse the city with the area around it which includes Dropulli. Just if you look at the names Ghj doesn't seem like very much influenced by the Greeks. Neighbordhood names: Hasmurati, Palorto, Dunavati, Varoshe, and a mosque in the middle of the town. None of the famous people I mentioned from Ghj.have a Greek-sounding name: Fatos, Enver, Ismail, Ardit, Cerciz, Aleksander? Their representative in parliament is named Makbule Ceco, the challenger was Roland Bejko. Again, sorry with the details, I am just trying to show the city for what it is in this issue as much as possible.
By the way, I still think that you underestiamte Ghj value. I also do not believe that it has much economic significance, but historically, politically, and culturally, it has a tremendous significance. Its population now is low, but you must remember that Ghj is one of the few cities that has not grown in population since 1970. Then, when Albanian cities were much smaller it was not bad. It does organize the folklorik festival, it does have a university, it has famous people, it looks like a museum, what else is left for a small town?
I think its Butrinti and Gjirokastra, not Berat. And all of you who think that Gjirokastra is overrated in Albania, do you see any other cities from Albania in UNESCO?
Football Rules said:
I know, I am surprised by the latest pictures. I spent two weeks in summer there and much did not seem to be happening. But then, we just came under the UNESCO thing.
Mesa shikoje e kane rregulluar hotelin ne qender. Plot lezete.
Kur eshte marre fotoja. Heren e fundit qe isha ne Gjirokaster xhamat e nderteses se verdhe ishin te demtuara. Gjithashtu, gjendja e pazarit te vjetur ne pergjithesi qe permisuar ne krahasim me perpara dhjete vjeteve. Kishte me shume levizje, dhe dyqane te reja. Per ata qe nuk jane nga rajoni, Gjirokasta ka dhe nje qytet te ri i ndertuar ne fushe pas 1950; pjesa ne fushe eshte zhvilluar dhe pazari i saje eshte bere kryesori, kurse pjesa e vjeter qe ne nje rrenie te ngadalte. Keto vitet e fundit, fal turizmit dhe nje ri-vleresimi te asaj zoneje, duket sikur po ringjallerohet perseri.
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Milos Markovic
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