APRIL 16-17, 2025
Gjirokaster was first mentioned in historic records dating back to the 12th century, when it was part of the Byzantine Empire. It has been fought over by the Greeks, the Albanians and the Ottomans. Today it is a mish-mash of cultures, religions and languages. We got into town and quickly found our Airbnb. As with nearly all of the Airbnbs in the Balkans, it was a spacious and lovely little suite.
The city was built along steep hills surrounding the citadel. It was a challenge to go from place to place. We walked most of the time because some of the streets were very narrow, steep and tangled like a spider’s web.
We were not sure if they were really streets!
We came across the Tunnel Museum. It was an actual war tunnel and filled with nostalgic junk. The lady took our 2 Euro each and rattled off some dates while pointing to items, then quickly left us wander the short distance to the back. There were some old military things, some beautiful glassware, and some old money, but mostly antique things that looked like they were gathered at garage sales or people’s basements. We did not linger, nor did we feel ripped off for the small fee we paid.
We carried on up a steep path toward the Fortress, past vendors selling meticulously crochet tablecloths and a fellow carving scenes into slabs of marble.
The Fortress dominates the town from its high, 336 metre (1102 ft), plateau. Archaeologists have determined that the first fortifications go back to the 5th and 6th centuries. It expanded in the 9th and 10th centuries, with the first signs of actual village settlement being in the 12th century. It is OLD!
There is a legend that a 15th century Princess Argjiro jumped off Gjirokaster Castle, along with her child, to avoid being captured by the Ottomans.
Today the Castle has a military museum that contains artillery and memorabilia from the communist era. It has five towers and houses, a clock tower,
two tekke (a dervish monastery or Sufi lodge of the Turkoman ethnic group), a cistern, water fountains, horse stables and the stage of the National Folk Festival, which is held every five years.
It also had a downed US Air Force plane, which is there to commemorate the Communist and Imperialist power struggle.
The entry hall of the castle had about 30 big guns on display, each tucked into an alcove of the entry hall. It was very impressive.
There was a huge statue of a soldier representing the Monument of the People’s Power.
At the end of the hall was the Armament Museum, which was once a prison for political prisoners during the communist regime. In it were paintings, statues, memorabilia, and details of battles.
There were also the prison cells, with commentary written by former prisoners.
The entire place was huge and well-restored. One can only imagine warriors riding up the sloping cobblestones near the clock tower, to be greeted by the reigning prince.
We wanted to see the Ali Pasha Bridge, which is not really a bridge, but part of an aqueduct system that fed water to the castle’s cisterns. The water came from Mount Sopot 10 km away. The guidebook said it was “an easy 30 minute hike” from Gjirokaster. LIES! Going through the town itself may have taken 30 minutes, but it certainly was not what I would call “easy”. The streets, as I mentioned earlier, are steep and narrow. We walked up to the top of the ridge and could see the bridge down the valley. I did not want to go any further, but Pierre said he saw people walking near it. Off we started. The path was made for mountain goats, I am sure. It started off quite treacherous, sidestepping rocks that threatened to break an ankle. (Remember, I was still recovering from a broken elbow!) I was ready to call it quits, when Pierre said the path got better just ahead. It did.
We wound our way to the bottom of the valley and got fairly close to the bridge. At the end of it, I was glad we made the trek.
But now we had to wind our way back up. Once at the top of the ridge we stopped at a small rooftop cafe for a well deserved beverage.
Just behind the cafe was a bunch of beehives. I mention this because there were lots of beehives throughout the Balkans, with honey sold at roadsides and in specialty shops. They don’t cut the grass or weeds until they naturally die in the fall, which provides flowers and food for the bees.
No old city would be complete without its old bazaar.
We had lunch in one of the bazaar restaurants, but did not do any shopping.
We went to the Bazaar Mosque, but it was locked.
The houses of the city were mostly built in the 17th and 18th centuries. Typical houses were built with stone blocks and can be five stories high. They had external and internal staircases. The lower storey contained a cistern and stable. The upper story had a guest room and family room. Further upper stories accommodated extended family and were connected by internal stairs. Since Gjirokaster’s membership to UNESCO in 2005, 500 houses have been restored as “cultural monuments”, but others continue to deteriorate. Many houses still have roofs covered with flat limestone as shingles, which are individually selected and shaped. It is this distinctive style that has earned the city the nickname “City of Stone” and the status as “museum town”.
We went to the Zekate House, which was built in 1811-12. It is considered on of the grandest examples of Ottoman architecture. It looks more like a fortress than a house from the outside. The ground floor had a storage with thick walls and small windows, a kitchen and a cistern. Interestingly, there was a tunnel that connected this pantry with a room upstairs. It could be used to throw valuable things and even themselves down into the bunker-like storage area in case of an attack.
The second floor held a pantry, with secret storage spaces under the benches.
It was also a resting place where ladies could embroider while the children played nearby.
There was one window sill that doubled as a sink for the family to wash their hands before entering the room. There was a pitcher of water sitting there. There was a hole under the window for the water to run to the outside of the building.
Each room had a closet with a steep ladder inside that lead to a sleeping area on top.
The third floor was the winter rooms. The rooms were lower and had smaller windows allowing the rooms to warm faster and stay warm longer. There were fireplaces, toilets (a hole in the floor) and even a hammam (Turkish bath) that was built behind the fireplace. A pipe allowed steam from a heating kettle to pass through the wall into the hammam. It was the only room in the house with a stone floor.
The fourth floor had a balcony that connected the two towers. The view from this balcony was amazing. It was also where the master of the house could sit upon his couch and watch his workers work his land.
This floor was considered the summer rooms. The rooms were larger, as were the windows. These were also where the guest and reception rooms were. They were highly decorated with frescoes, painted walls, carved ceiling and an ornate fireplace.
But the toilet was still just a hole in the floor….
Upon leaving, I jokingly asked the host if I could stay in the beautiful guestroom. He said this house actually belonged to his family and they had lived in it until 1968. This was interesting because the house was built by the Pasha for Beqir Zeko, an administrator in the local government. Was this gentleman really a descendant from that time? I think the rooms were for available for rent.
It was time to find our way out of the maze of Gjirokaster and hit the road.
Other stand-out moments or observations:
All the Airbnb’s are NICE. They are spacious and well equipped – except for the frying pans, they suck.
The hot water is very hot and on-demand.
The hosts are extremely nice and accommodating.
Attractions are not very expensive; between $5-$10 each.
An Old Lady with a Backpack 
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