GJIROKASTRA

Okay, as I warned you guys, I deleted the political-historical debate, starting from your post, grigoris.
Now I wish you guys would drop the subject



or else...

Football Rules, you have made some great postings on the Tirana forum. I have joined these forums only recently and have noted your postings with great interest but some of the stuff you have to say on Gjirokastra are shocking.

Small? Not that important? Compared to Fieri?????

I love Tirana because I was born and raised there but Tirana does not have a history, it is a brand new city hence all the chaotic architectural influences. Within one century we have gone from Ottoman style, to Italian Neorealism and now to Manhatan high rises.

Gjirokastra is not a city, it is a musem, alas (as r2t point out) a museum which badly needs restoration and maintenance work.

Gjirokastra has just been accepted by Unesco as a world hearitige site - don't ever expect Tirana to get any such accolades.

Gjirokastra has a great castle with a great arms museum in it.

Gjirokastra did not just produce Enver Hoxha, also produced Cabej and Kadare and previously Cerciz Topulli.

Gjirokastra is enthnographically (costumes, internal decoration, wooden carved ceilings and fire places, works in silver and gold) very very rich.

Gjirokastra remains a thriving centre of polyphonic singing wich it is claimed is directly descended from the ancient Illyrians and one of the most ancient forms of music not just in Albania or the Balkans but in the world.

(Similar isolated examples of such poliphony can be found in Calabria from the Albanian arberesh that migrated there in the 15th century and also in islands of Sardegna and Corsica)

Architecture on the other hand is a matter of taste but one cannot compare the traditional unique stone built and covered Gjirokastra houses (for they are unique) with the modern glass fascaded high rises of Tirana or elswhere - it is simply not like for like - I mean what else?
Would you put down the pyramids at Giza just because they are covered in glass??

Futboll - kjo ishte shoqerore jo konfliktive, mos me keqkupto

Regards, Saimir

Every city in Albania is important. There is no need for rivalries as they each contribute to the national culture.

Cdo qytet ka rendesine e vete. Kulture shqiptare perbehet nga cdo qytete qe kontribojne pjesen e tyre. (vlora,shkodra,tirana,elbasani,shqiperia e mesme, shqiperia e jugut, shqiperia e veriut...e me rradhe).

Hello,

I saw in this page http://skyscrapercity.com/archive/index.php/t-199094.html a reference by the user r2t to my previous site www.melsi.20megsfree.com.

Those photos are found here now:

https://picasaweb.google.com/106750443321510111873/Gjirokastra2003Photos

Thank you all,
Melsi Habipi

lakerdar123 said:

hey melsi. very nice site you have there and welcome to the forum. i hope you can share some of your pics with us.

Click to expand...

[Please tolerate my English]

Thank you lakerdar123. Yes, you can have those photos, I mention it in my site.

>>>> English: pazari = the place where there are shops

1. Just before you get to pazari, on the right, oposite to where the prison was.


2. Near fire station, on the left while going to pazari.


This is the very central place, Qafa e pazarit (the center of pazar)


This empty place (if I am not wrong) is where excactly was the Enver Hoxha statue. It is a place where you have a good view of the city from the top. In the background appears half of the castle (unfortunately couldn't place all of it inside the picture). This big white building is the hotel of the city.


This picture is taken from the same place as above, but from an other direction and (if I am not wrong) it is the Palorto neighbourhood.


This is the Manalati neighbourhood, founded behind the castle (as you see it above). This is about 10-15 min walk from the pazari.


Above you saw the front half of the castle. This too is the front half but shooted from the other side. This is what you see from Manalati.


This is the rear half of the castle as seen from Manalati or Dunavati neighbourhood.


This is a ***** founded in the front half as seen from Manalati.


This is the "Naim Frasheri" high school. I was there until the 6' class, 1992. If I remeber well about the sixth or seventh window from the left on the top, is where my class was. (Many years have past, a whole life! But enough, I get melancholic when thinking of the past.)



Best of luck,
guys