Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in
southern Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
and the seat of
Gjirokastër County
Gjirokastër County () is one of the 12 counties of Albania. The total population in 2023 was 60,013, in an area of 2884 km2. Its capital is the city Gjirokastër.
Administrative divisions
Until 2000, Gjirokastër County was subdivided into thre ...
and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the
Gjerë mountains and the
Drino
The Drino or Drinos (, ) is a river in southern Albania and northwestern Greece, and a tributary of the Vjosë. Its source is in the northwestern part of the Ioannina regional unit, near the village Delvinaki. The 84.6 km (52.6 mi) long Drino ...
, at 300
metres above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level v ...
. Its old town is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
. The city is overlooked by
Gjirokastër Fortress
Gjirokastër Castle (Albanian language, Albanian: ''Kalaja e Gjirokastrës'' or ''Kalaja e Argjirosë'') is a fortress in Gjirokastër, Albania (during Ottoman rule it was historically known as Ergiri while local Greeks referred to it as Argyrok ...
, where the
Gjirokastër National Folk Festival
Gjirokastër National Folk Festival () is an artistic festival taking place every five years at Gjirokastër Castle in Gjirokastër, southern Albania. The festival was first held in 1968 and is regarded as the most important event in Albanian cul ...
is held every five years. It is the birthplace of former
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
communist
Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
leader
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was the Secretary (titl ...
, and author
Ismail Kadare
Ismail Kadare (; 28 January 1936 – 1 July 2024) was an Albanian novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter and playwright. He was a leading international literary figure and intellectual, focusing on poetry until the publication of his first novel ...
.
The city appears in the historical record dating back in 1336 by its medieval Greek name, ,
as part of the
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...
. It first developed in the hill where the
Gjirokastër Fortress
Gjirokastër Castle (Albanian language, Albanian: ''Kalaja e Gjirokastrës'' or ''Kalaja e Argjirosë'') is a fortress in Gjirokastër, Albania (during Ottoman rule it was historically known as Ergiri while local Greeks referred to it as Argyrok ...
is located. In this period, Gjirokastër was contested between the
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate of Epirus () was one of the Greek Rump state, successor states of the Byzantine Empire established in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204 by a branch of the Angelos dynasty. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the ...
and the Albanian clan of
Zenebishi under
Gjon Zenebishi
John Zenevisi or Gjon Zenebishi ( or ''Gjin Zenebishi''; died 1418) was an Albanian magnate that held the estates in Epirus, such as Gjirokastër and Vagenetia.
Name
Zenevisi can be found with different spellings in historical documents. His n ...
who made it his capital in 1417. It was taken by the Ottomans in 1418, a year after's Gjon's death and it became the seat of the
Sanjak of Albania
The Sanjak of Albania (, or ; or ) was a second-level administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire between 1415 and 1444. Its mandate included territories of modern central and southern Albania between Krujë to the Kalamas River in northwester ...
. Throughout the Ottoman era, Gjirokastër was officially known in Ottoman Turkish as ''Ergiri'' and also ''Ergiri Kasrı''.
During the Ottoman period conversions to Islam and an influx of Muslim converts from the surrounding countryside made Gjirokastër go from being an overwhelmingly Christian city in the 16th century into one with a large Muslim population by the early 19th century.
Gjirokastër also became a major religious centre for
Bektashi
Bektashism (, ) is a tariqa, Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the wali, ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The ...
Sufism.
Taken by the
Hellenic Army
The Hellenic Army (, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the army, land force of Greece. The term Names of the Greeks, '' Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the largest of the three branches ...
during the
Balkan Wars
The Balkan Wars were two conflicts that took place in the Balkans, Balkan states in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan states of Kingdom of Greece (Glücksburg), Greece, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Montenegro, M ...
of 1912–1913, Gjirokastër was eventually incorporated into the newly independent state of Albania in 1913. The local Greek population rebelled and established the short-lived
Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus
The Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus () was a short-lived, self-governing entity founded in the aftermath of the Balkan Wars on 28 February 1914, by the local Greek population in southern Albania ( Northern Epirotes).
The area, known as ...
in 1914 with Gjirokastër as its capital.
During the communist period, Gjirokastër was designated a "museum city" due to its architectural heritage.
In more recent years, the city witnessed anti-government protests that led to the
1997 Albanian civil unrest
In 1997, Albania experienced widespread civil unrest due to economic problems caused by the collapse of pyramid schemes. The large sums of money siphoned from the government to fund these schemes led to the collapse of the Democratic Party's ...
.
Besides Albanians, who constitute the majority, the city is also home to a substantial Greek minority,
[Kallivretakis, Leonidas (1995).]
Η ελληνική κοινότητα της Αλβανίας υπό το πρίσμα της ιστορικής γεωγραφίας και δημογραφίας [The Greek Community of Albania in terms of historical geography and demography
." In Nikolakopoulos, Ilias, Kouloubis Theodoros A. & Thanos M. Veremis (eds). ''Ο Ελληνισμός της Αλβανίας [The Greeks of Albania]''. University of Athens. p. 34. "Στα πλαίσια της επιτόπιας έρευνας που πραγματοποιήσαμε στην Αλβανία (Νοέμβριος-Δεκέμβριος 1992), μελετήσαμε το ζήτημα των εθνοπολιτισμικών ομάδων, όπως αυτές συνειδητοποιούνται σήμερα επί τόπου. s part of the fieldwork we held in Albania (November–December 1992), we studied the issue of ethnocultural groups, as they are realized today on the spot.; p. 42. "Στο Νομό του Αργυροκάστρου: Έλληνες 40%, Βλάχοι 12%, Αλβανοί Χριστιανοί 21%, Αλβανοί Μουσουλμάνοι 28%, επί συνόλου 66.000 κατοίκων, 63% Χριστιανοί, 49% Αλβανοί." p. 43. "4) Ακόμη και εκεί που η ύπαιθρος είναι ελληνική ή ελληνίζουσα, οι πόλεις διαθέτουν αλβανική πλειοψηφία. Αυτό φαίνεται καθαρά στις περιπτώσεις Αργυροκάστρου και Δελβίνου, όπου οι Νομαρχίες πέρασαν στα χέρια της μειονότητας, όχι όμως και οι Δήμοι των αντιστοίχων πόλεων." "[4) Even where the countryside is Greek or Greekish, cities have an Albanian majority. This is clear where the prefectures of Gjirokastër and Delvinë were passed into the hands of the minority, but not the municipalities of the respective cities.]"; p. 51. "Ε Έλληνες, ΑΧ Αλβανοί Ορθόδοξοι Χριστιανοί, AM Αλβανοί Μουσουλμάνοι, Μ Μικτός πληθυσμός...." p.55. "GJIROKASTRA ΑΡΓΥΡΟΚΑΣΤΡΟ 24216 Μ (ΑΜ + ΑΧ + Ε)."; p.57. and some
Aromanians
The Aromanians () are an Ethnic groups in Europe, ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian language, Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Albania, south-western Bulgari ...
,
Romani
Romani may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Romani people, or Roma, an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin
** Romani language, an Indo-Aryan macrolanguage of the Romani communities
** Romanichal, Romani subgroup in the United Kingdom
* Romanians (Romanian ...
and
Balkan Egyptians
The Ashkali ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Ашкалије, Aškalije, separator=" / ", link=no), otherwise known as Hashkali ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Хашкалије, Haškalije, separator=" / ", link=no) and/or Balkan Egyptians ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Балкански ...
.
The city is a centre for the Greek minority in Albania.
Names and etymology
The city appeared for the first time in historical records under its medieval name of ''Argyrókastron'' (), as mentioned by
John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene (; ; – 15 June 1383) was a Byzantine Greek nobleman, statesman, and general. He served as grand domestic under Andronikos III Palaiologos and regent for John V Palaiologos before reigning as Byza ...
in 1336.
The name comes from ''argyrón'' (), and ''kástron'' (), derived from
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
', meaning "castle" or "fortress"; thus "silver castle". Byzantine chronicles also used the similar name ''Argyropolýchni'' ().
The theory that the city took the name of the
Princess Argjiro Princess Argjiro or Argyro (; ) is a legendary figure in Albanian. She is supposed to have lived in the 15th century.
Argjiro inspired Ismail Kadare in a poem he wrote in the 1960s. According to local Albanian folkloric traditions she lived in the ...
, a legendary figure about whom 19th-century author
Kostas Krystallis
Kostas Krystallis (; 1868–1894) was an ethnic Aromanians, Aromanian, Greeks, Greek author and poet, representative of 19th century Greek pastoral literature. He was born an Ottoman Greece, Ottoman subject in Epirus, but escaped to Greece after b ...
and
Ismail Kadare
Ismail Kadare (; 28 January 1936 – 1 July 2024) was an Albanian novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter and playwright. He was a leading international literary figure and intellectual, focusing on poetry until the publication of his first novel ...
wrote novels, is considered
folk etymology
Folk etymology – also known as (generative) popular etymology, analogical reformation, (morphological) reanalysis and etymological reinterpretation – is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a mo ...
, since the princess is said to have lived later, in the 15th century.
The
definite Albanian form of the name of city is ''Gjirokastra'', while in the
Gheg Albanian
Gheg or Geg (Gheg Albanian: ''gegnisht'', Standard ) is one of the two major varieties of Albanian, the other being Tosk. The geographic dividing line between the two varieties is the Shkumbin River, which winds its way through central Alba ...
dialect it is known as ''Gjinokastër'', both of which derive from the Greek name. During the
Ottoman era
The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Central Euro ...
, the town was known in
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
* Something related to Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire
* The w ...
as ''Ergiri''.
History
Early history
The
Phrygian period of the region spanned from around 1150 BCE to around 850 BCE. Hammond argues that the region was checkered with a mosaic of small Phrygian principalities, with the principality of Gjirokastër and the surrounding region having its center at
Vodhinë. In the later part of the period, it appears there was a change of dynasty at Vodhine.
Archaeologists have found pottery artifacts dating to the early
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
, crafted in a style that first appeared in the late Bronze Age in
Pazhok,
Elbasan County
Elbasan County () is one of the 12 counties of Albania. The population is 232,580 (as of 2023), in an area of 3199 km2. Its capital is the city Elbasan.
Administrative divisions
Until 2000, Elbasan County was subdivided into four districts: ...
, and is found throughout
Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
.
The earliest recorded inhabitants of the area around Gjirokastër were the ancient Greek tribe of the
Chaonians
The Chaonians () were an Ancient Greeks, ancient Greek people that inhabited the historical Epirus, region of Epirus which today is part of northwestern Greece and southern Albania.; ; ; ; ; Together with the Molossians and the Thesprotians, the ...
, which belonged to the
Epirote
Epirus () is a geographical and historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay of Vlorë and the Acroceraunian Mountains in ...
group. In antiquity the local urban centre was located in
Antigonia, c. from modern Gjirokastër on the opposite bank of river Drino.
Medieval period

Gjirokastër first developed on the hill where the castle of the city is located in the Middle Ages. The first fortification dates to the 5th-6th centuries CE during the period of
Slavic migrations to the Balkans
Early Slavs began mass migrating to Southeastern Europe between the first half of the 6th and 7th century in the Early Middle Ages. The rapid demographic spread of the Slavs was followed by a population exchange, mixing and language shift to and ...
. It was expanded in the 9th-10th centuries, while the first signs of actual settlement medieval urban development in the castle area date to the 13th-14th centuries. During this period, Gjirokastër developed into a center known in medieval sources as ''Argyropolis'' (, meaning "Silver City") or ''Argyrokastron'' (, meaning "Silver Castle").
The city was part of the
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate of Epirus () was one of the Greek Rump state, successor states of the Byzantine Empire established in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204 by a branch of the Angelos dynasty. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the ...
and was first mentioned by the name ''Argyrokastro'' by
John VI Kantakouzenos
John VI Kantakouzenos or Cantacuzene (; ; – 15 June 1383) was a Byzantine Greek nobleman, statesman, and general. He served as grand domestic under Andronikos III Palaiologos and regent for John V Palaiologos before reigning as Byza ...
in 1336.
That year Argyrokastro was among the cities that remained loyal to the Byzantine Emperor during a local Epirote rebellion in favour to
Nikephoros II Orsini
Nikephoros II Orsini Doukas (Greek: Νικηφόρος Β΄ Δούκας, ''Nikēphoros II Doukas''), was the ruler of Epirus from 1335 to 1338 and from 1356 until his death in 1359.
Life
Nikephoros was the son of John Orsini of Epirus and An ...
.
The Albanian
Zenebishi clan, which held Gjirokastër by the end of the century, is first mentioned in 1304 as land holders in the
Angevin holdings in Albania, possibly in the southern coastal area.
Laonikos Chalkokondyles
Laonikos Chalkokondyles (; – ), also latinized as Laonicus Chalcocondyles, was a Byzantine Greek historian from Athens. He is known for his '' Demonstrations of Histories'' in ten books, which record the last 150 years of the Byzantine Empi ...
mentions that in the era before 1336, Albanian clans from the area of
Durrës
Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the List of cities and towns in Albania#List, second most populous city of the Albania, Republic of Albania and county seat, seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is one of Albania's oldest ...
marched southwards and took control of most areas in Gjirokastër.
[Giakoumis, Konstantinos (2003)]
Fourteenth-century Albanian migration and the ‘relative autochthony’ of the Albanians in Epeiros. The case of Gjirokastër.
" ''Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies''. 27. (1). p. 179: "The Albanians originating... According to the sources, there were two migrant groups, the one which travelled via Ohrid and ended in Thessaly while the other, moving through Kelcyre, reached Gjirokaster and the despotate. The purpose of their occupation was to search for new pasture lands. The combination of fertile plains and mountains rich in grasslands in the region of Gjirokaster was ideal for the poor nomadic Albanians who did not hesitate to ravage cities when they lacked provisions.."; p. 182. "Furthermore, I presented evidence that the in the fourteenth century immigrant Albanians taking advantage of the decimation of the local Epirote population by to the Black death also migrated into the regions of Gjirokastër." In this era, the city was contested between the Italian and Serbian rulers which claimed the
Despotate of Epirus
The Despotate of Epirus () was one of the Greek Rump state, successor states of the Byzantine Empire established in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204 by a branch of the Angelos dynasty. It claimed to be the legitimate successor of the ...
with occasional Ottoman support and the Zenebishi clan under
Gjon Zenebishi
John Zenevisi or Gjon Zenebishi ( or ''Gjin Zenebishi''; died 1418) was an Albanian magnate that held the estates in Epirus, such as Gjirokastër and Vagenetia.
Name
Zenevisi can be found with different spellings in historical documents. His n ...
. In 1399, the Italian ruler of Ioannina,
Esau de' Buondelmonti
Esau de' Buondelmonti () was the ruler of Ioannina and its surrounding area (central Epirus) from 1385 until his death in 1411, with the Byzantine title of despot.
Life
Esau was the son of the Florentine nobleman Manente and Lapa Acciaiuoli, ...
who was allied to the Ottomans, gathered an army made up of troops from Ioannina, Zagori, Dryinoupolis and Gjirokastër and the Mazaraki and Malakasi clans and marched against Gjon Zenebishi. He was ambushed, defeated and captured along with other lords from Ioannina by Zenebishi near
Dhivër
Dhivër (, ) is a village and a former Municipalities of Albania, municipality in the Vlorë County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Finiq. The population at the 2011 census was 1,39 ...
. The victory secured the city of Gjirokastër for Gjon Zenebishi and it became his capital. In 1417 Gjon Zenebishi died and was succeeded by his son
Simon
Simon may refer to:
People
* Simon (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name Simon
* Simon (surname), including a list of people with the surname Simon
* Eugène Simon, French naturalist and the genus ...
as lord of Gjirokastër in early 1418. Immediately, the Ottomans besieged the city. Simon left the city during the siege to seek refuge in Ioannina and returned back when the Ottoman siege failed, but nevertheless he eventually surrendered Gjirokastër to the Ottomans. With the acquisition of Gjirokastër, the area became known as ''Zenebish-ili'' (land of Zenebishi) and by 1419 became the seat of the
Sanjak of Albania
The Sanjak of Albania (, or ; or ) was a second-level administrative unit of the Ottoman Empire between 1415 and 1444. Its mandate included territories of modern central and southern Albania between Krujë to the Kalamas River in northwester ...
.
During the
Albanian Revolt of 1432–36
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
it was besieged by forces under
Depë Zenebishi
Depë Zenebishi, also Depas or Thopia Zenevisi (, 1379–1435), was an Albanian nobleman. The son of Gjon Zenebishi, he had settled in his father's estate in Corfu after the conquest of Gjirokastër by the Ottoman Empire in 1418. He was called t ...
, but the rebels were defeated by Ottoman troops led by
Turahan Bey
Turahan Bey or Turakhan Beg (; ; ;PLP 29165 died in 1456) was a prominent Ottoman Turkish military commander and governor of Thessaly from 1423 until his death in 1456. He participated in many Ottoman campaigns of the second quarter of the 15t ...
. In 1570s local nobles
Manthos Papagiannis
Manthos or Matthaios Papagiannis ({{langx, el, Μάνθος or Ματθαίος Παπαγιάννης, ? – died between 1580 and 1596) was a Greek noble and revolutionary. He was involved in various plots to overthrow Ottoman rule in the north ...
and Panos Kestolikos, discussed ''as Greek representative of enslaved Greece and Albania'' with the head of the
Holy League
Commencing in 1332, the numerous Holy Leagues were a new manifestation of the Crusading movement in the form of temporary alliances between interested Christian powers. Successful campaigns included the capture of Smyrna in 1344, at the Battle of ...
,
John of Austria
John of Austria (, ; 24 February 1547 – 1 October 1578) was the illegitimate son of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Charles V recognized him in a codicil to his will. John became a military leader in the service of his half-brother, King Phi ...
and various other European rulers, the possibility of an anti-Ottoman armed struggle, but this initiative was fruitless.
Ottoman period (up to 1800)
According to
Ottoman traveller
Evliya Çelebi
Dervish Mehmed Zillî (25 March 1611 – 1682), known as Evliya Çelebi (), was an Ottoman Empire, Ottoman explorer who travelled through his home country during its cultural zenith as well as neighboring lands. He travelled for over 40 years, rec ...
, who visited the city in 1670, at that time there were 200 houses within the castle, 200 in the Christian eastern neighborhood of ''Kyçyk Varosh'' (meaning small neighborhood outside the castle), 150 houses in the ''Byjyk Varosh'' (meaning big neighborhood outside the castle), and six additional neighborhoods: Palorto, Vutosh, Dunavat, Manalat, Haxhi Bey, and Memi Bey, extending on eight hills around the castle.
According to the traveller, the city had at that time around 2000 houses, eight mosques, three churches, 280 shops, five fountains, and five inns.
From the 16th century until the early 19th century Gjirokastër went from being a predominantly Christian city to one with a Muslim majority due to much of the urban population converting to Islam alongside an influx of Muslim converts from the surrounding countryside.
[Giakoumis, Konstantinos (2010).]
The Orthodox Church in Albania Under the Ottoman Rule 15th–19th Century
. In Schmitt, Oliver Jens & Andreas Rathberger (eds). ''Religion und Kultur im albanischsprachigen Südosteuropa [Religion and culture in Albanian-speaking southeastern Europe]]''. Peter Lang. pp. 86–87.
Modern
In 1811, Gjirokastër became part of the
Pashalik of Yanina
The Pashalik of Yanina, sometimes referred to as the Pashalik of Ioannina or Pashalik of Janina, was an autonomous pashalik within the Ottoman Empire between 1787 and 1822 covering large areas of Albania, Greece, and North Macedonia. Under the ...
, then led by the Albanian-born
Ali Pasha of Ioannina
Ali Pasha (1740 – 24 January 1822), commonly known as Ali Pasha of Yanina or Ali Pasha of Tepelena, was an Albanian ruler who served as Ottoman pasha of the Pashalik of Yanina, a large part of western Rumelia. Under his rule, it acquired a ...
and was transformed into a semi-autonomous fiefdom in the southwestern Balkans until his death in 1822. In 1833 Albanian rebels took over the town causing the Ottoman government to comply with rebel terms. After the fall of the pashalik in 1868, the city was the capital of the
sanjak
A sanjak or sancak (, , "flag, banner") was an administrative division of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans also sometimes called the sanjak a liva (, ) from the name's calque in Arabic and Persian.
Banners were a common organization of nomad ...
of Ergiri. On 23 July 1880, southern Albanian committees of the
League of Prizren
The League of Prizren (), officially the League for the Defense of the Rights of the Albanian Nation (), was an Albanian political organization that was officially founded on June 10, 1878 in the old town of Prizren in the Kosovo Vilayet of th ...
held a congress in the city, in which was decided that if Albanian-populated areas of the Ottoman Empire were ceded to neighbouring countries, they would revolt.
During the
Albanian National Awakening
The Albanian National Awakening ( or ), commonly known as the Albanian Renaissance or Albanian Revival, is a period throughout the 19th and 20th century of a cultural, political, and social movement in the Albanian history where the Albanian ...
(1831–1912), the city was a major centre of the movement, and some groups in the city were reported to carry portraits of
Skanderbeg
Gjergj Kastrioti (17 January 1468), commonly known as Skanderbeg, was an Albanians, Albanian Albanian nobility, feudal lord and military commander who led Skanderbeg's rebellion, a rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in what is today Albania, ...
, the national hero of the Albanians during this period.
Gjirokastër from the middle of the nineteenth century also prominently contributed to the wider Ottoman Empire through individuals that served as ''Kadı''s (civil servants) and was an important centre of Islamic culture.
[Ali, Çaksu (2006). ]
Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Islamic Civilisation in the Balkans, Tirana, Albania, 4–7 December 2003
'. Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture. p. 115. "At least since the middle of the nineteenth century; families or individuals from Gjirokastër (the Ottoman Ergiri or Ergiri Kasrı) in Southern Albania, and from Libohova, a small town located twenty kilometers from Gjirokastër, gave a huge number of Kadıs, who were in charge in the whole Ottoman Empire, making of these two localities important centres of Islamic culture."
In early March 1908, the
binbashi
A ''binbashi'', alternatively ''bimbashi'', (from , "chief of a thousand", "chiliarch") is a major in the Turkish army, of which term originated in the Ottoman army. The title was also used for a major in the Khedivial Egyptian army as ''Bimba ...
of Gjirokastër was assassinated by
Çerçiz Topulli
Çerçiz Topulli (20 September 1880 – 17 July 1915) was an Albanian revolutionary and guerrilla fighter involved in the Albanian national movement operating in the mountainous areas of southern Albania. He was the younger brother of Bajo Topul ...
and his followers.
The Albanians of the city during 1909–1912 were split between two groups: the urban liberals who wanted to cooperate with the Greeks and Albanian nationalists who formed guerilla bands operating in the countryside.
During the 19th and early 20th century, Albanian speaking Muslims were the majority population of Gjirokastër, while a small number of Greek-speaking families lived there.
[Kokolakis, Mihalis (2003)]
''Το ύστερο Γιαννιώτικο Πασαλίκι: χώρος, διοίκηση και πληθυσμός στην τουρκοκρατούμενη Ηπειρο (1820–1913)'' [The late Pashalik of Ioannina: Space, administration and population in Ottoman ruled Epirus (1820–1913)
. EIE-ΚΝΕ. p.52. "β. Ο διεσπαρμένος ελληνόφωνος πληθυσμός περιλάμβανε... και μικρό αριθμό οικογενειών στα αστικά κέντρα του Αργυροκάστρου και της Αυλώνας. [b. The scattered Greek-speaking population included ... and a small number of families in the cities of Gjirokastra and Vlora.]"; p. 54. "Η μουσουλμανική κοινότητα της Ηπείρου, με εξαίρεση τους μικρούς αστικούς πληθυσμούς των νότιων ελληνόφωνων περιοχών, τους οποίους προαναφέραμε, και τις δύο με τρεις χιλιάδες διεσπαρμένους "Τουρκόγυφτους", απαρτιζόταν ολοκληρωτικά από αλβανόφωνους, και στα τέλη της Τουρκοκρατίας κάλυπτε τα 3/4 περίπου του πληθυσμού των αλβανόφωνων περιοχών και περισσότερο από το 40% του συνόλου. [The Muslim community in Epirus, with the exception of small urban populations of the southern Greek-speaking areas, which we mentioned, and 2-3000 dispersed "Muslim Romani", consisted entirely of Albanian speakers, and in the late Ottoman period covered approximately 3/4 of population ethnic Albanian speaking areas and more than 40% of the total area."; pp.55–56. "Σ' αυτά τα μέρη οι μουσουλμανικές κοινότητες, όταν υπήρχαν, περιορίζονταν στο συμπαγή πληθυσμό ορισμένων πόλεων και κωμοπόλεων (Αργυρόκαστρο, Λιμπόχοβο, Λεσκοβίκι, Δέλβινο, Παραμυθιά). [In these parts of the Muslim communities, where present, were limited to compact population of certain towns and cities (Gjirokastra, Libohovë, Leskovik, Delvino, Paramythia)." p. 91. Στο Αργυρόκαστρο οι Αλβανιστές διασπάστηκαν ανάμεσα στους φιλελεύθερους της πόλης, που ζητούσαν τη συνεργασία με τους Έλληνες, και στα ακραία εθνικιστικά στοιχεία, που σχημάτισαν στην ύπαιθρο ανταρτικές ομάδες. [The Albanians of Gjirokastër were split between the liberals of the city, calling for cooperation with the Greeks, and the extreme nationalist elements, which formed in the countryside as guerrilla groups.]"; pp. 370, 374.

Given its Greek minority, the city was claimed and taken by Greece during the
First Balkan War
The First Balkan War lasted from October 1912 to May 1913 and involved actions of the Balkan League (the Kingdoms of Kingdom of Bulgaria, Bulgaria, Kingdom of Serbia, Serbia, Kingdom of Greece, Greece and Kingdom of Montenegro, Montenegro) agai ...
of 1912–1913, following the retreat of the Ottomans from the region.
However, it was awarded to Albania under the terms of the
Treaty of London of 1913 and the
Protocol of Florence of 17 December 1913.
This turn of events proved highly unpopular with the local Greek population, and their representatives under
Georgios Christakis-Zografos
Georgios Christakis-Zografos (; 1863–1920) was a Greek politician, minister of foreign affairs and president of the Autonomous Republic of Northern Epirus (1914).
Life
Studies and early career
He was the son of the entrepreneur and benefacto ...
formed the Panepirotic Assembly in Gjirokastër in protest. The Assembly, short of incorporation with Greece, demanded either local autonomy or an international occupation by forces of the Great Powers for the districts of Gjirokastër,
Sarandë
Sarandë (; sq-definite, Saranda; ) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in the Republic of Albania and the seat of Sarandë Municipality. Geographically, the city is located on an open sea gulf of the Ionian Sea within the Mediterrane ...
, and
Korçë
Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, eighth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population of the city is 51,152 and 75,994 of Korçë municipal ...
.
In April 1939, Gjirokastër was occupied by Italy following the
Italian invasion of Albania
The Italian invasion of Albania was a brief military campaign which was launched by Fascist Italy, Italy against Albanian Kingdom (1928–1939), Albania in 1939. The conflict was a result of the imperialistic policies of the Italian prime m ...
. On 8 December 1940, during the
Greco-Italian War
The Greco-Italian War (), also called the Italo-Greek War, Italian campaign in Greece, Italian invasion of Greece, and War of '40 in Greece, took place between Italy and Greece from 28 October 1940 to 23 April 1941. This conflict began the Balk ...
, the Hellenic Army entered the city and stayed for a five-month period before capitulating to
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
in April 1941 and returning the city to Italian command. After the capitulation of Italy in the
Armistice of Cassibile
The Armistice of Cassibile ( Italian: ''Armistizio di Cassibile'') was an armistice that was signed on 3 September 1943 by Italy and the Allies, marking the end of hostilities between Italy and the Allies during World War II. It was made public ...
in September 1943, the city was taken by German forces and eventually returned to
Albanian control in 1944.

The postwar communist regime developed the city as an industrial and commercial centre. It was elevated to the status of a museum town,
as it was the birthplace of the leader of the
People's Socialist Republic of Albania
The People's Socialist Republic of Albania, () was the Marxist-Leninist state that existed in Albania from 10 January 1946 to the 29 April 1991. Originally founded as the People's Republic of Albania from 1946 to 1976, it was governed by the P ...
,
Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was the Secretary (titl ...
, who had been born there in 1908. His house was converted into a museum.
The demolition of the monumental statue of the authoritarian leader Enver Hoxha in Gjirokastër by members of the local Greek community in August 1991 marked the end of the one-party state It was the last statue in Albania to be demolished during the
Fall of Communism in Albania
The fall of communism in Albania, the last such event in Europe outside the Soviet Union, started in December 1990 with student demonstrations in the capital, Tirana, although protests started in January that year in other cities like Shkod ...
, which happened in 28 July 1991, 5 months after the rest of the statues that were demolished since February and marked the end of the one-party state.
Gjirokastër suffered severe economic problems following the end of communist rule in 1991. In the spring of 1993, the region of Gjirokastër became a center of open conflict between Greek minority members and the Albanian police.
The city was particularly affected by the 1997 collapse of a massive
pyramid scheme
A pyramid scheme is a business model which, rather than earning money (or providing Return on investment, returns on investments) by sale of legitimate product (business), products to an end consumer, mainly earns money by recruiting new members ...
which destabilised the entire Albanian economy.
The city became the focus of a rebellion against the government of
Sali Berisha
Sali Berisha (; born 15 October 1944) is an Albanian cardiologist and conservative politician who served as the president of Albania from 1992 to 1997 and as the 32nd Prime Minister of Albania, prime minister of Albania from 2005 to 2013. Berisha ...
; violent anti-government protests took place which eventually forced Berisha's resignation. On 16 December 1997, Hoxha's house was damaged by unknown attackers, but subsequently restored.
[
]
Geography
The present municipality was formed at the 2015 local government reform by the merger of the former municipalities of
Antigonë
Antigonë is a former municipality in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Gjirokastër. The population at the 2011 census was 998. The municipal unit is known fo ...
,
Cepo
Çepo is a municipal administrative units, formerly known as communes in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Gjirokastër. The municipal unit administrative cen ...
, Gjirokastër,
Lazarat
Lazarat ( sq-definite, Lazarati) is a village in Gjirokastër County, in southern Albania. It is located in the Dropull valley. Formerly functioning as a municipality, as part of the 2015 local government reform, it became a subdivision of the muni ...
,
Lunxhëri,
Odrie
Odrie is a former municipality in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a List of cities and towns ...
and
Picar
Picar is a village and a former municipality in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Gjirokastër. The population at the 2011 census was 937.[ ...]
, that became municipal units.
The seat of the municipality is the town Gjirokastër.
The total population is 28,673 (2011 census),
in a total area of .
The population of the former municipality at the 2011 census was 19,836.
[
]
Climate
Gjirokastër is situated between the lowlands of western Albania and the highlands of the interior, and has thus a hot-summer Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...
, though, (as is normal for Albania), much heavier rainfall than usual for this climate type.
Economy
Gjirokastër is principally a commercial center with some industries, notably the production of foodstuffs, leather, and textiles. Recently a regional agricultural market that trades locally produced groceries has been built in the city. Given the potential of southern Albania to supply organically grown products, and its relationship with Greek counterparts of the nearby city of Ioannina
Ioannina ( ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus (region), Epirus, an Modern regions of Greece, administrative region in northwester ...
, it is likely that the market will dedicate itself to organic farming
Organic farming, also known as organic agriculture or ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2024 on organic production and labelling of ...
in the future. However, trademarking and marketing of such products are currently far from European standards. The Chamber of Commerce of the city, created in 1988, promotes trade with the Greek border areas. As part of the financial support from Greece to Albania, the Hellenic Armed Forces
The Hellenic Armed Forces () lead the military forces of Greece. The Hellenic Armed Forces consists of the Hellenic Army, the Hellenic Navy, Hellenic Air Force and Hellenic Coast Guard.
The civilian authority overseeing the Hellenic Armed ...
built a hospital in the city.
In recent years, many traditional houses are being reconstructed and owners lured to come back, thus revitalizing tourism as a potential revenue source for the local economy. However, some houses continue to degrade from lack of investment, abandonment or inappropriate renovations as local craftsmen are not part of these projects.
In 2010, following the Greek economic crisis, the city was one of the first areas in Albania to suffer, since many Albanian emigrants in Greece are becoming unemployed and thus are returning home.
Infrastructure
Gjirokastër is served by the SH4 Highway, which connects it to Tepelenë
Tepelenë ( sq-definite, Tepelena) is a city and a municipality in Gjirokastër County, in the south of Albania. The town is on the left bank of the Vjosa River, about three kilometres downstream from its union with the Drino.
Until the abolition ...
in the north and the Dropull
Dropull ( sq-definite, Dropulli; ''Dropoli'' or ''Deropoli'') is a municipality in Gjirokastër County, in southern Albania. The region stretches from south of the city of Gjirokastër to the Greek–Albanian border, along the Drino river. The reg ...
region and Greek
Greek may refer to:
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...
border to the south.
Education
The first school in the city, a Greek language school, was erected in the city in 1663. It was sponsored by local merchants and functioned under the supervision of the local bishop. In 1821, when the Greek War of Independence
The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. In 1826, the Greeks were assisted ...
broke out, it was destroyed, but it was reopened in 1830. In 1727 a madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...
started to function in the city, and it worked uninterruptedly for 240 years until 1967, when it was closed due to the Cultural Revolution applied in communist Albania. In 1861–1862 a Greek language
Greek (, ; , ) is an Indo-European languages, Indo-European language, constituting an independent Hellenic languages, Hellenic branch within the Indo-European language family. It is native to Greece, Cyprus, Italy (in Calabria and Salento), south ...
school for girls was founded, financially supported by the local Greek benefactor Christakis Zografos
Christakis Zografos (, , ; 1820 – 19 August 1898) was an Ottoman Greek banker, benefactor and one of the distinguished personalities of the Greek community of Constantinople (modern Istanbul).
Early life and career
Zografos was born in the vi ...
. The first Albanian school in Gjirokastër was opened in 1886. Today there are 14 schools in Albanian language and two bilingual Albanian-Greek schools in the city.
The city is home to the Eqrem Çabej University
Ekrem is a Turkish form of the Arabic given name Akram, meaning "kind", "generous", or "benevolent." Sometimes rendered Eqrem in Albania. Notable people with these names include:
Ekrem
* Ekrem Akurgal (1911–2002), Turkish archaeologist
* E ...
, which opened its doors in 1968. The university has recently been experiencing low enrollments, and as a result the departments of Physics, Mathematics, Biochemistry, and Kindergarten Education did not function during the 2008–2009 academic year. In 2006, the establishment of a second university in Gjirokastër, a Greek-language one, was agreed upon after discussions between the Albanian and Greek governments. The program had an attendance of 35 students , but was abruptly suspended when the University of Ioannina
The University of Ioannina (UoI; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων, ''Panepistimio Ioanninon'') is a public university located in Ioannina, Greece. The university was founded in 1964, as a charter of the Aristotle University of ...
in Greece refused to provide teachers for the 2010 school year and the Greek government and the Latsis Latsis (; ) can be either a Greek surname or a Russified form of the Latvian language surname Lācis
Lācis (Latvian orthography#Old orthography, Old orthography: ''Lahz(i)(s)''; feminine: Lāce) is a Latvian people, Latvian Latvian surname, surn ...
foundation withdrew funding.
Demography
Gjirokastër rapidly grew in the Ottoman era and it was key area of Ottoman urbanization in the Balkans. It was one of the main cities in the Janina vilayet
The Vilayet of Janina, Yanya or Ioannina () was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire, established in 1867. In the late 19th century, it reportedly had an area of . . The population of Gjirokastër was predominantly Albanian-speaking in the final Ottoman era (late 19th/early 20th century) except for a small number of Greek-speaking families. In the period of the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and its aftermath, some Albanian-speaking Orthodox Christians from the nearby region of Lunxhëri settled in Gjirokastër. Some inhabitants from the Zagori region in Albania also settled in the town. In the 2000s, the town's population fluctuated approximately between 42,000 and 47,000 people.
Gjirokastër is home to an ethnic Greek community that according to Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
numbered about 4,000 out of 30,000 in 1989, although Greek spokesmen have claimed that up to 34% of the town is Greek. Gjirokastër is considered a center of the Greek community in Albania.[ A Greek consulate is in the town.] The Romani
Romani may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Romani people, or Roma, an ethnic group of Indo-Aryan origin
** Romani language, an Indo-Aryan macrolanguage of the Romani communities
** Romanichal, Romani subgroup in the United Kingdom
* Romanians (Romanian ...
and Balkan Egyptians
The Ashkali ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Ашкалије, Aškalije, separator=" / ", link=no), otherwise known as Hashkali ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Хашкалије, Haškalije, separator=" / ", link=no) and/or Balkan Egyptians ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Балкански ...
settled in Gjirokastër in 1967 and inhabit the Zinxhiraj neighbourhood, numbering 150 families. In 2000, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is a regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization comprising member states in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, the p ...
(OSCE) estimated the Romani and Balkan Egyptians compose 3.4 percent of the town's population. Post–communism, some Aromanians
The Aromanians () are an Ethnic groups in Europe, ethnic group native to the southern Balkans who speak Aromanian language, Aromanian, an Eastern Romance language. They traditionally live in central and southern Albania, south-western Bulgari ...
from Lunxhëri migrated to Greece, and after returning to Albania, they chose to settle in Gjirokastër instead of their former villages.
By population, Gjirokastër is the largest municipality in the Gjirokastër County
Gjirokastër County () is one of the 12 counties of Albania. The total population in 2023 was 60,013, in an area of 2884 km2. Its capital is the city Gjirokastër.
Administrative divisions
Until 2000, Gjirokastër County was subdivided into thre ...
. According to INSTAT
The Institute of Statistics () is an independent public legal entity tasked with producing official statistics in the Albania, Republic of Albania.
INSTAT is organized at the central level, with regional statistical offices at the local level tha ...
, based on the 2011 Census, Gjirokastër Municipality was estimated to have 28,673 residents (a density of 53.91 persons/km2) living in 6,919 housing units, while the county as a whole had a total of 72,176 inhabitants. The population of the municipality included the urban and rural population in its Administrative Units such as: Antigonë
Antigonë is a former municipality in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Gjirokastër. The population at the 2011 census was 998. The municipal unit is known fo ...
, Cepo
Çepo is a municipal administrative units, formerly known as communes in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Gjirokastër. The municipal unit administrative cen ...
, Lazarat
Lazarat ( sq-definite, Lazarati) is a village in Gjirokastër County, in southern Albania. It is located in the Dropull valley. Formerly functioning as a municipality, as part of the 2015 local government reform, it became a subdivision of the muni ...
, Lunxhëri, Odrie
Odrie is a former municipality in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a List of cities and towns ...
and Picar
Picar is a village and a former municipality in the Gjirokastër County, southern Albania. At the 2015 local government reform it became a subdivision of the municipality Gjirokastër. The population at the 2011 census was 937.[ ...]
. The city of Gjirokastër itself had a resident population of 19,836 inhabitants, who were a predominantly urban population.
In the municipality, the population was spread out, with 16.76% from the age 0 to 14, 69.24% from 15 to 64, and 13.98% who were 65 years of age or older. As far as the city itself is concerned, the population was spread out, with 16.93% from the age 0 to 14, 70.27% from 15 to 64, and 12.78% who were 65 years of age or older.
The results of the 2011 census were affected by a boycott by minorities. The European Council
The European Council (informally EUCO) is a collegiate body (directorial system) and a symbolic collective head of state, that defines the overall political direction and general priorities of the European Union (EU). It is composed of the he ...
's Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) is a multilateral treaty of the Council of Europe aimed at protecting the minority rights, rights of minorities. It came into effect in 1998 and by 2009 it had been ratif ...
stated that "the results of the census should be viewed with the utmost caution and calls on the authorities not to rely exclusively on the data on nationality collected during the census in determining its policy on the protection of national minorities".
Religion
The region was part of the Eastern Orthodox diocese of Dryinoupolis, part of the metropolitan bishopric of Ioannina. It was first mentioned in a notitia of the 10th–11th century. With the destruction of nearby Adrianupolis its see was transferred to Gjirokastër and assumed the name ''Doecese of Dryinopoulis and Argyrokastron'' (). In 1835 it was promoted to metropolitan bishopric under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (, ; ; , "Roman Orthodox Patriarchate, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Istanbul") is one of the fifteen to seventeen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is heade ...
.[Giakoumis, Konstantinos (2010).]
The Orthodox Church in Albania Under the Ottoman Rule 15th–19th Century
. In Schmitt, Oliver Jens & Andreas Rathberger (eds). ''Religion und Kultur im albanischsprachigen Südosteuropa [Religion and culture in Albanian-speaking southeastern Europe]]''. Peter Lang. pp. 80. Today, the city is home to a diocese part of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania
The Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania (), commonly known as the Albanian Orthodox Church or the Orthodox Church of Albania, is an autocephaly, autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox church. It declared its autocephaly in ...
. The two existing churches of the city were re-built at the end of the 18th century, after approval by the local Ottoman authorities who received large bribes by the Orthodox community. The Orthodox Cathedral of the "Transfiguration of the Saviour" was rebuilt at 1773 on the site of an older church and is located at the castle quarters.
During the Ottoman period Gjirokastër was a significant centre for the Muslim Sufi Bektashi Order
Bektashism (, ) is a Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The Bektashi co ...
, especially in relation to its spread and literary activity.[Norris, Harry Thirlwall (1993). ]
Islam in the Balkans: religion and society between Europe and the Arab world
'. University of South Carolina Press. p. 134. "The southern Albanian town of Gjirokastër was also for centuries and important centre for Baktāshī propagation and literary activity." In the early 19th century during the rule of Ali Pasha, British diplomat William Martin Leake
William Martin Leake FRS (14 January 17776 January 1860) was an English soldier, spy, topographer, diplomat, antiquarian, writer, and Fellow of the Royal Society. He served in the British Army, spending much of his career in the Mediterrane ...
during his journey from Vlorë
Vlorë ( ; ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, third most populous city of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surr ...
to Gjirokastra and later to present-day Greece, in his diary describes his arrival on 26 December 1804, in the region of '' Derópoli'', or Dropull as it was known from the local Albanians. According to him, its chief city Gjirokastër numbered about 2000 Muslim families and about 100 Christian families. While Libohovë
Libohovë ( sq-definite, Libohova) is a town and a municipality in southern Albania. It is overlooked by Libohovë Castle and has a main street with views across the Drino valley. Libohovë is at the foot of the Mount Bureto, Bureto Mountain. The r ...
, also then part of the same region, numbered half of that number with about 1000 Muslim families and 100 Christian families.
In 1925, Albania became the world center of the Bektashi Order
Bektashism (, ) is a Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The Bektashi co ...
, a Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
sect. The sect was headquartered in Tirana
Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...
, and Gjirokastër was one of six districts of the Bektashi Order in Albania, with its center at the tekke of Baba Rexheb. The city retains a large Bektashi
Bektashism (, ) is a tariqa, Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the wali, ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The ...
and Sunni
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
population. Historically there were 15 tekkes and mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
s, of which 13 were functional in 1945. Only Gjirokastër Mosque
Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a city in southern Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino, at 300 metres above sea level. ...
has survived; the remaining 12 were destroyed or closed during the Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...
of the communist government in 1967.
According to the previous 2011 census, which has been widely disputed due to irregularities in the procedure and its data affected by boycott, the percentages of the local population per religious group are: Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
42,3%, Bektashis 5,3%, Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...
14,6%, Roman Catholics
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
2,8%, while a 35,2 had not declared any religion or is non-religious.
According to the Gjirokastër County 2023 census data (which includes other municipalities beyond Gjirokastër), the 2023 census revealed the following religious composition: 14.4% identified as Muslims, 21.0% as Bektashis, 1.2% as Catholic Christians, 25.3% as Orthodox Christians, 0.26% as Evangelical Christians, 7.28% as atheists, 14.36% as believers without denomination, and 15.95% as "Not stated/other".
Culture
17th-century Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi, who visited the city in 1670, described the city in detail. One Sunday, Çelebi heard the sound of a vajtim, the traditional Albanian lament for the dead, performed by a professional mourner. The traveller found the city so noisy that he dubbed Gjirokastër the "city of wailing".
The novel ''Chronicle in Stone
''Chronicle in Stone'' () is a novel by Albanian author Ismail Kadare. First published in Albanian in 1971, and translated into English by Arshi Pipa in 1987, it describes life in a small Albanian city during World War II. A revised translatio ...
'' by Albanian writer Ismail Kadare
Ismail Kadare (; 28 January 1936 – 1 July 2024) was an Albanian novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter and playwright. He was a leading international literary figure and intellectual, focusing on poetry until the publication of his first novel ...
tells the history of this city during the Italian and Greek occupation in World War I and II. It expounds on the customs of the people of Gjirokastër.
At the age of twenty-four, Albanian writer Musine Kokalari
Musine Kokalari (10 February 1917 – 13 August 1983) was an Albanians, Albanian prose writer and politician in Albania's pre-communist period. She was the founder of the Social Democratic Party of Albania (1943), Social-Democratic Party of Alban ...
wrote an 80-page collection of ten youthful prose tales in her native Gjirokastrian dialect: ''As my old mother tells me'' (), Tirana, 1941. The book tells the day-by-day struggles of women of Gjirokastër, and describes the prevailing mores of the region.
Gjirokastër, home to both Albanian and Greek polyphonic
Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice ( monophony) or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ...
singing, is also home to the National Folklore Festival () that is held every five years. The festival started in 1968 and was most recently held in 2009, its ninth season. The festival takes place on the premises of Gjirokastër Fortress. Gjirokastër is also where the Greek language
Greek (, ; , ) is an Indo-European languages, Indo-European language, constituting an independent Hellenic languages, Hellenic branch within the Indo-European language family. It is native to Greece, Cyprus, Italy (in Calabria and Salento), south ...
newspaper '' Laiko Vima'' is published. Founded in 1945, it was the only Greek-language printed media allowed during the People's Socialist Republic of Albania.
Landmarks
The city is built on the slope surrounding the citadel, located on a dominating plateau. Although the city's walls were built in the third century and the city itself was first mentioned in the 12th century, the majority of the existing buildings date from 17th and 18th centuries. Typical houses consist of a tall stone block structure which can be up to five stories high. There are external and internal staircases that surround the house. It is thought that such design stems from fortified country houses typical in southern Albania. The lower storey of the building contains a cistern and the stable. The upper storey is composed of a guest room and a family room containing a fireplace. Further upper stories are to accommodate extended families and are connected by internal stairs. Since Gjirokastër's membership to UNESCO, a number of houses have been restored, though others continue to degrade.
Many houses in Gjirokastër have a distinctive local style that has earned the city the nickname "City of Stone", because most of the old houses have roofs covered with flat dressed stones. A very similar style can be seen in the Pelion district of Greece. The city, along with Berat
Berat (; sq-definite, Berati) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, ninth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Berat County and Berat Municipality. By air, it is north of Gjirokastër, west of Korçë, south of Tirana, and ea ...
, was among the few Albanian cities preserved in the 1960s and 1970s from modernizing building programs. Both cities gained the status of "museum town" and are UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage sites
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...
.
Gjirokastër Fortress
Gjirokastër Castle (Albanian language, Albanian: ''Kalaja e Gjirokastrës'' or ''Kalaja e Argjirosë'') is a fortress in Gjirokastër, Albania (during Ottoman rule it was historically known as Ergiri while local Greeks referred to it as Argyrok ...
dominates the town and overlooks the strategically important route along the river valley. It is open to visitors and contains a military museum featuring captured artillery and memorabilia of the Communist resistance against German occupation, as well as a captured United States Air Force plane forced down by Anastas Ngjela, to commemorate the Communist regime's struggle against the imperialist powers. Additions were built during the 19th and 20th centuries by Ali Pasha of Ioannina
Ali Pasha (1740 – 24 January 1822), commonly known as Ali Pasha of Yanina or Ali Pasha of Tepelena, was an Albanian ruler who served as Ottoman pasha of the Pashalik of Yanina, a large part of western Rumelia. Under his rule, it acquired a ...
and the government of King Zog I of Albania
Zog I (born Ahmed Muhtar Zogolli; 8 October 18959 April 1961) was the leader of Albania from 1922 to 1939. At age 27, he first served as Albania's youngest ever Prime Minister (1922–1924), then as president (1925–1928), and finally as King ...
. Today it possesses five towers and houses a clock tower, a church, water fountains, horse stables, and many more amenities. The northern part of the castle was turned into a prison by Zog's government and housed political prisoners during the communist regime.
Gjirokastër features an old Ottoman bazaar
A bazaar or souk is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, Central Asia, North Africa and South Asia. They are traditionally located in vaulted or covered streets th ...
which was originally built in the 17th century; it was rebuilt in the 19th century after a fire. There are more than 500 homes preserved as "cultural monuments" in Gjirokastër today. The Gjirokastër Mosque
Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gjirokastra) is a city in southern Albania and the seat of Gjirokastër County and Gjirokastër Municipality. It is located in a valley between the Gjerë mountains and the Drino, at 300 metres above sea level. ...
, built in 1757, dominates the bazaar.
When the town was first proposed for inclusion on the World Heritage list in 1988, International Council on Monuments and Sites
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS; ) is a professional association that works for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage places around the world. Now headquartered in Charenton-le-Pont, France, ICOMOS was fou ...
experts were nonplussed by a number of modern constructions which detracted from the old town's appearance. The historic core of Gjirokastër was finally inscribed in 2005, 15 years after its original nomination.
Sports
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
is popular in Gjirokastër: the city hosts '' Luftëtari Gjirokastër'', a club founded in 1929. The club has competed in international tournaments and currently plays in the Albanian Superliga
Kategoria Superiore (), also known as Abissnet Superiore for sponsorship reasons with internet service provider, Abissnet, is a professional league for men's association football clubs in Albania. At the top of the Albanian football league syste ...
until 2006–2007 and again from 2016. The soccer matches are played in Gjirokastër Stadium
Gjirokastra Stadium () is a multi-use stadium in Gjirokastër, Albania. It is used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of KS Luftëtari Gjirokastër. The stadium has a capacity of 8,400 people. This is the first time after 1972 th ...
, which can hold up to 8,400 spectators.
International relations
Gjirokastër is twinned with:
* Grottammare
Grottammare (Teramano ) is a town and ''comune'' on Italy's Adriatic coast, in the province of Ascoli Piceno, Marche region. It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").
The town is crossed by the 43rd par ...
, Italy
* Klina
Klina (Albanian language, Albanian: ''Klinë'' or ''Klina'') is a List of cities in Kosovo, town and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality located in the District of Peja of north-western Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Klina h ...
, Kosovo
Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
* Lipjan
Lipjan ( sq-definite, Lipjani) or Lipljan ( sr-Cyrl, Липљан) is a town and municipality located in the District of Pristina in Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Lipjan has 6,870 inhabitants, while the municipality has 57,6 ...
, Kosovo
Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
* Nardò
Nardò ( or ; ) is a town and ''comune'' in the southern Italian region of Apulia, in the Province of Lecce.
Lies on a lowland area placed at south-west of its Province, its border includes part of the Ionian coast of Salento.
For centuries, i ...
, Italy
Notable residents
* Ali Alizoti
Ali Nezvad Alizoti (1858–???? in Gjirokastër), son of Bey Naim Alizoti, was an Albanian politician of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He studied in Istanbul and commenced administrative training in Salonica. In 1906 he was app ...
, 19th century politician
* Fejzi Alizoti
Fejzi Bey Alizoti (22 September 1874, Gjirokastër – 14 April 1945, Tirana) was an Albanian politician who served as the chairman of the central administration of Albania from January 1916 to October 1918. He was the first interim prime minister ...
, interim Prime Minister of Albania in 1914
* Kyriakoulis Argyrokastritis (−1828), revolutionary of the Greek War of Independence
* Arjan Bellaj
Arjan Bella (born 1 February 1971) is an Albanian professional football manager and a former midfielder. He is the manager of Vora.
Club career
Bellaj played for PAS Giannina, Kalamata F.C., Apollon Athens F.C., Ethnikos Piraeus F.C. and Pa ...
, retired soccer player and member of the Albania national football team
The Albania national football team () represents Albania in men's international Association football, football. It is governed by the Albanian Football Federation (FSHF), the governing body for football in Albania. It is a member of UEFA in Eur ...
* Elmaz Boçe Elmaz is a masculine given name. Notable people with the name include:
* Elmaz Abinader (born 1954), Arab-American author, poet, and academic
* Elmaz Boçe (1852–1925), Albanian educator
See also
* Elmas (surname)
{{Given name
Masculine give ...
, signatory of the Albanian Declaration of Independence
The Albanian Declaration of Independence (Albanian language, Albanian: ''Deklarata e Pavarësisë'') was the declaration of independence of Albania from the Ottoman Empire. Independent Albania was proclaimed in Vlorë on 28 November 1912. Six da ...
and politician
* Bledar Devolli
Bledar Devolli (born 15 January 1978) is an Albanian professional Association football, football coach and former player.
Club career
Devolli was released by the Flamurtari chairman Shpëtim Gjika on 19 July 2011, along with three other main pla ...
(born 1978), footballer
* Georgios Dimitriou, 18th century author
* Ioannis Doukas
Ioannis Doukas or Dukas (, 1841–1916) was a Greek painter and one of the main representatives in 19th century portrait painting in Greece.
Life
Doukas was born in 1841, in Gjirokastër (then Ottoman Empire, modern Albania). He started his stu ...
, 19th century painter
* Vangjel Dule
Vangjel Dule (, ''Vangelis Doules''; born 18 February 1968) is a politician who belongs to the ethnic Greek minority of Albania. Since 2002, he is the chairman of the Unity for Human Rights Party, a political party that focuses on the rights of ...
, representative of the Greek minority in Albanian politics
* Rauf Fico
Abdurrauf Fico (1881–1944), also known as Rauf Fitso Bey was an Albanian ambassador and politician.
Early life
Rauf Fico was born in Sanaa, to Tahmaz Fico of the Fico family of Gjirokastër and Hava Buzo from Berat. After finishing high schoo ...
(1881–1944), politician
* Bashkim Fino
Bashkim Fino (12 October 1962 – 29 March 2021) was an Albanian socialist politician who served as the 29th Prime Minister of Albania from March to July 1997.
Biography
Fino studied economics in Tirana and the United States. After this, he wo ...
, former Prime Minister of Albania
* Christos Gikas
Christos Gikas (; born August 12, 1976, in Gjirokastër, Albania) is a retired amateur Greek Greco-Roman wrestler, who competed in the men's lightweight category. He won a silver medal in the 63-kg division at the 2001 Mediterranean Games in Tun ...
, Greco-Roman wrestler
* Ardit Gjebrea
Ardit Gjebrea (born 7 June 1963) is an Albanian television presenter, singer-songwriter and producer.
Life and career
Gjebrea began singing at the age of five in Albanian children festivals, he was awarded prizes at local competitions for in ...
(born 1963), Albanian singer, songwriter, producer and television presenter.
* Ramize Gjebrea
Ramize Gjebrea (April 20, 1923 – March 6, 1944, nom de guerre ''Ramona'') was an Albanian World War II partisan, accused of alleged immoral behavior by a martial court, and executed by a firing squad in the village of Ramicë, Vlorë.
Biogra ...
(1923–1944), World War II partisan
* Gregory IV of Athens
Gregory IV, (, ; died 1828) was an Albanians, Albanian scholar and cleric who became Metropolitan of Athens in 1827–1828.
Gregory was born in Gjirokastër in the mid to late-18th century. He became a teacher in the New Academy (Moscopole), N ...
, scholar and Archbishop of Athens
The Archbishopric of Athens () is a Greek Orthodox archiepiscopal see based in the city of Athens, Greece. It is the senior see of Greece, and the seat of the autocephalous Church of Greece. Its incumbent (since 2008) is Ieronymos II of Athens. ...
* Altin Haxhi
Altin Haxhi (born 17 June 1975) is an Albanian retired footballer who played as a defender.
Club career
Haxhi's former clubs include Shqiponja Gjirokastër, Panachaiki, Litex Lovech, Iraklis, CSKA Sofia, Apollon Kalamarias, Anorthosis ...
, international soccer player; capped in the Albania national team
* Veli Harxhi
Veli is a male Finnish and Estonian given name, meaning ''brother''.
It is also an Ottoman Turkish name, mainly used by Ottoman affiliated populations as a male given name, meaning ''guardian''. Its original etymology in Arabic meaning a "friend o ...
, signatory of the Albanian Declaration of Independence and politician
* Fatmir Haxhiu, painter
* Enver Hoxha
Enver Halil Hoxha ( , ; ; 16 October 190811 April 1985) was an Albanian communist revolutionary and politician who was the leader of People's Socialist Republic of Albania, Albania from 1944 until his death in 1985. He was the Secretary (titl ...
(1908–1985), former first Secretary of the Albanian Party of Labor
The Party of Labour of Albania (PLA), also referred to as the Albanian Workers' Party (AWP), was the ruling and sole legal party of Albania during the communist period (1945–1991). It was founded on 8 November 1941 as the Communist Party of ...
, and leader of socialist Albania
* Feim Ibrahimi, composer
* Ismail Kadare
Ismail Kadare (; 28 January 1936 – 1 July 2024) was an Albanian novelist, poet, essayist, screenwriter and playwright. He was a leading international literary figure and intellectual, focusing on poetry until the publication of his first novel ...
(1936–2024), novelist and poet, winner of the 2005 Man Booker International Prize
The International Booker Prize (formerly known as the Man Booker International Prize) is an international literary award hosted in the United Kingdom. The introduction of the International Prize to complement the Man Booker Prize, as the Boo ...
, 2009 Prince of Asturias Award
The Princess of Asturias Awards (, ), formerly the Prince of Asturias Awards from 1981 to 2014 (), are a series of annual prizes awarded in Spain by the Princess of Asturias Foundation (previously the Prince of Asturias Foundation) to individuals ...
, and 2015 Jerusalem Prize
The Jerusalem Prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society is a biennial literary award given to writers whose works have dealt with themes of human freedom in society.
It is awarded at the Jerusalem International Book Forum (previously kn ...
* Mehmed Kalakula, politician
* Xhanfize Keko
Xhanfise Keko (27 January 1928 – 22 December 2007), born in Gjirokastër, Albania, was an Albanian film director.
Keko was one of the seven founders of New Albania Film Studio () (present-day Albafilm). She was the first female director and d ...
movie director
* Saim Kokona
Saim Kokona (26 February 1934 – 30 March 2012) was an Albanian cinematographer who was regarded as one of the most prolific in the cinema of Albania.
Life and career
Saim Kokona was born on in Gjirokastër
Gjirokastër (, sq-definite, Gj ...
(born 1934), cinematographer
* Albi Kondi
Ioannis "Giannis" Kontis ( born Albi Kondi , 4 January 1989) is a footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American ...
(born 1989), football player
* Eqrem Libohova
Ekrem Bey Libohova (24 February 1882 – 7 June 1948) was an Albanian politician and Axis collaborator. He served as the Prime Minister of Albania on two occasions during the Italian occupation of Albania.
Political career
He was born in Gji ...
, former Prime Minister of Albania
* Sabit Lulo
Sabit Lulo (1883-?) was an Albanian politician, active in the Ottoman Empire and Albania.
He was born in 1883 in Gjirokastër and was son of a kadi. From 1909 to 1913 he served as kaymakam in Tepelenë, Çermik and Rize, in Eastern Anatolia. In J ...
, politician
* Bule Naipi
Bule Naipi (1922 – 17 July 1944) was a World War II Hero of Albania.
Bule Naipi was born in 1922 in Gjirokastër, Albania. As a member of the Communist Youth, she joined the Antifascist War. Since the beginnings of her childhood she faced grave ...
, World War II People's Heroine of Albania
* Omer Nishani
Omer Nishani (5 February 1887 – 26 May 1954) was an Albanian medical doctor and political figure involved first in the struggle against Ahmet Zogu (known after 1928 as King Zog) in the 1920s and 1930s, and then in the struggle against the fasc ...
, Head of State of Albania from 1944 to 1953
* Arlind Nora
Arlind Nora (born 4 July 1980 in Gjirokastër) is a retired Albanian footballer playing as a forward.
Career stats
Honours Club
;Elbasani
*Albanian Superliga
Kategoria Superiore (), also known as Abissnet Superiore for sponsorship reasons ...
(born 1980), footballer
* Bahri Omari
Bahri Omari (10 February 188914 April 1945) was an Albanian politician, publisher, and writer.
Early life
Born on 10 February 1889, in the city of Gjirokastër, Janina Vilayet, Ottoman Empire (today the location is in Albania), he became at the ...
(1889–1945), politician
* Jani Papadhopulli
Jani Papadhopulli (1874–1939), also known as Jan Papadopulli, was one of the delegates of the Albanian Declaration of Independence, who was later elected as deputy of the Albanian parliament in 1923-1924, representing Gjirokastër District.
Pap ...
, signatory of the Albanian Declaration of Independence and politician
* Manthos Papagiannis
Manthos or Matthaios Papagiannis ({{langx, el, Μάνθος or Ματθαίος Παπαγιάννης, ? – died between 1580 and 1596) was a Greek noble and revolutionary. He was involved in various plots to overthrow Ottoman rule in the north ...
, 16th century revolutionary
* Xhevdet Picari
Xhevdet Picari was an Albanian military figure from Gjirokastër. He was a commander during the Vlora War
The Vlora War was a military conflict in the Vlorë region of Albania between the Kingdom of Italy and Albanian nationalists. Vlorë, occu ...
, commander in the Vlora War
* Pertef Pogoni
Pertef Pogoni, also known as Ibrahim Pertev, was a 20th-century Albanian politician.
Born in Gjirokastër in Janina Vilayet, Ottoman Empire (modern day Albania) in 1888, his father was Hoca-zade, Mehmed Avni, chief-qadi in Thessaloniki. He studie ...
, politician
* Baba Rexheb, Bektashi
Bektashism (, ) is a tariqa, Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the wali, ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The ...
Sufi religious leader and saint and 7th Dedebaba
Bektashi Dedebabate is the religious leadership of Bektashi Islam. The term ''Dedebaba'' comes from Turkish and means "The grandfather.'" The dedebabas () are the spiritual and religious leaders of the Bektashi community. Bektashis do not conside ...
of the Bektashi Order
Bektashism (, ) is a Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The Bektashi co ...
* Xhafer Sadik
Xhafer Sadik (Xhaferr Sadik Dede or Xhafer Sadiku; 1874 – 2 August 1945) was the 4th Bektashi Dedebabate, Dedebaba (or Kryegjysh) of the Bektashism in Albania, Bektashi Order.Dedebaba
Bektashi Dedebabate is the religious leadership of Bektashi Islam. The term ''Dedebaba'' comes from Turkish and means "The grandfather.'" The dedebabas () are the spiritual and religious leaders of the Bektashi community. Bektashis do not conside ...
of the Bektashi Order
Bektashism (, ) is a Sufi order of Islam that evolved in 13th-century western Anatolia and became widespread in the Ottoman Empire. It is named after the ''walī'' "saint" Haji Bektash Veli, with adherents called Bektashis. The Bektashi co ...
* Mehmet Tahsini
Mehmet Tahsini (1864–?) was an Albanian politician, active in the Ottoman Empire and Albania.
He was born in Gjirokastër and started his career as a professor of History in Edirne. After 1895 he served as kaymakam in Eastern Anatolia
The East ...
, politician and professor
* Bajo Topulli
Bajo Topulli (1868 – 24 July 1930), born Bajram Fehmi Topulli, was an Albanian nationalist figure of the Albanian National Awakening. Bajo was the older brother of Çerçiz Topulli.
Biography
Bajo Topulli was a Muslim Tosk Albanian, sc ...
, brother of Çerçiz, nationalist and guerrilla fighter
* Çerçiz Topulli
Çerçiz Topulli (20 September 1880 – 17 July 1915) was an Albanian revolutionary and guerrilla fighter involved in the Albanian national movement operating in the mountainous areas of southern Albania. He was the younger brother of Bajo Topul ...
, 20th-century nationalist and guerrilla fighter
* Haki Toska
Haki Toska (May 8, 1920 – December 27, 1994) was an Albanian politician of the Albanian Party of Labour (PPSh).
Biography
Toska was born on 8 May 1920 in Gjirokastër to Albanian parents whom spoke with the Tosk dialect of Albanian hence the su ...
(1920–1994), politician
* Takis Tsiakos
Takis Tsiakos (, 1909–1997) was a Greek poet, representative of the poetic style of Kostis Palamas.
Tsiakos was born in Gjirokastër, Janina Vilayet, Ottoman Empire, present-day southern Albania. In 1930 he moved to Ioannina, Greece, where he m ...
(1909–1997), Greek poet
* Alexandros Vasileiou, merchant and Greek scholar
* Michael Vasileiou, merchant, brother of Alexandros
* Mahmud Xhelaledini
Mahmud Xhelaledini was a 20th-century Albanian politician who worked for the Ottoman Empire.
Born in Gjirokastër in 1870, Xhelaledin had studied in Thessaloniki. After undergoing the Ottoman school of public administration there, he became kay ...
, politician
* Arjan Xhumba, retired soccer player and member of the Albania national football team
Gallery
File:Gjirokastra Albania 6.jpg, Street in the Old Bazaar
File:Streets in Gjirokast%C3%ABr 003.jpg, Street
File:Gjirokaster, street 3.jpg, Street with cafes
File:Gji02.jpg, Ottoman house
File:Enver Hoxha-House and cars in Gjirokastër.JPG, Mercedes along Enver Hoxha's house
File:Gjirokastra Stone Bridge.jpg, Ottoman bridge
File:gjirokaster%2C view from street to castle 1.jpg, View of the citadel from the castle
File:Gjirokastra US airplane.jpg, American Lockheed T-33 in the castle
File:Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra-111175.jpg, Old stone house, typical of the Gjirokastra area
File:Girokastran linnake.jpg, Clock tower of castle
File:Gjirokaster, castle 3.jpg, Path in the castle
File:Gjirokaster, castle 5.jpg, Castle wall
File:Manastiri i Dhuvjanit.jpg, Dhuvjan Monastery
File:Gjirokastër Aug 2016.jpg, Street in Gjirokastër
See also
* History of Albania
During classical antiquity, Albania was home to several Illyrian tribes such as the Albanoi, Ardiaei, Bylliones, Dassaretii, Enchele, Labeatae, Taulantii, Parthini, Penestae (tribe), Penestae, Amantes (tribe), Amantes, and many others, but also Bry ...
* Greeks in Albania
The Greeks in Albania are ethnic Greeks who live in or originate from areas within modern Albania. They form the largest minority group in the country. They are mostly concentrated in the south of the country, in the areas of the northern part ...
References
Sources
"Gjirokastër"
Encyclopædia Britannica, 2006
"Gjirokastër or Gjinokastër"
The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2004
*
*
*
External links
bashkiagjirokaster.gov.al
– Official Website
visit-gjirokastra.com
– Official Tourism Website
Gjirokastër – The city of stone in Albania
gjirokastra.or
– Conservation and Development Organization
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gjirokaster
Gjirokastër
Administrative units of Gjirokastër
Cities in Albania
Greek communities in Albania
Labëria
Municipalities in Gjirokastër County
Aromanian settlements in Albania
Ottoman architecture in Albania
World Heritage Sites in Albania